texts: Cooling off food: "blow the soup" or "blow at the soup"

texts:
You have a bowl of hot soup / a stick of cold ice cream.

How do you express that you want to cool it off / warm it up by sending air from your mouth to it?

Is it accurate to say

"to blow the soup to cool it off" OR "to blow at the soup to cool it off"
"to blow the ice cream to warm it up" OR "to blow at the ice cream to warm it up"


texts: Is "I heard the bough broken off by its own weight" correct in grammar?

texts:
Sometimes, as I sat at my window, so heedlessly did they (boughs) grow and tax
  their weak joints, I heard a fresh and tender bough suddenly fall like
  a fan to the ground, when there was not a breath of air stirring,
  broken off by its own weight.

I assumed that the complete sentence containing 'broken off by its own weight' is 'I heard a fresh and tender bough broken off by its own weight', and the 'when' phrase is a parenthesis.

But it seems like that the verb after a verb of perception should be in the simple form or -ing form, Can I use past tense verbs here? Or did I misunderstand the sentence?
I figure 'stirring' is used to describe 'a breath of air', can a gerund be used like this? Thank you very much.


texts: Does it sound 'arrogant' to use the word 'observe'?

texts:
I want to say something like

  I gradually became fascinated by robot because I started to observe the close connection between it and the developing technology?

Are there better alternatives that I could use to replace 'observe' yet still imply I have my own thoughts and ideas?

Also, would you say it's gramatically correct to use 'became' instead of 'become' even though currently I am still interested in it? What if I replace 'became' with 'developed'?


texts: What do you call a lateral movement in a dance? In a ballroom dance, people sometimes move laterally quickly for a while, what is this movement called? I am thinking about European ballroom dances specifically with a man and a woman.


texts:
Are there any differences between distracted by and distracted with?

For example:

  Don't distract yourselves with those phones.

Should it be with or by in the sentence above?

More:

  I get distracted by my phone really easily.

  How not to get distracted by the internet?


texts: two thousands five hundreds dollars vs two thousand five hundred dollars

texts:
Among 'two thousands five hundreds dollars' and 'two thousand five hundred dollars.', which is the right one?

should I put 's' at the end of thousand and hundred?


texts: Does "shatter" in "Shatterdome" really refer to storms?

texts:
When I watched Polish premiere of movie Pacific Rim last year, word "Shatterdome" was translated to mean either "Dome of Storms" or "Dome of Thunders". This has been bugging me ever since. I have browsed several online English dictionaries and couldn't find any definition that would link word "shatter" to thunderstorms.

Now, when it comes to English-to-Polish movie translations, I have seen both ones that are absolutely brilliant and ones that have glaring rookie mistakes. Therefore, my question is: is that a correct translation and I'm missing some etymological context, or did translator see "_erdome" and immediately thought of that one Mad Max movie?


texts: "Treats of the place where Oliver Twist was born"

texts:
What does the word treats mean in this context? I don't think it means entertainment, food, drink etc.. Maybe it is an old usage of this word? Does it mean influencing factors or something like that?

This is the first part of the title of the first chapter of the novel "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens. The whole title reads:

  Treats of the Place Where Oliver Twist was Born and of the Circumstances Attending His Birth


texts:
https://www.lingq.com/cs/lesson/lesson-25-early-writing-431420/

  On the twelfth of September 1940, four teenage boys were exploring caves near ...

I guess in the above text, there is a mistake. I mean, I guess instead of "teenage boys" there should be "teenaged boys". Am I right or not?


texts: Meaning of "adjustment of X *lags* actual conditions in the labour markets"

texts:
I do not understand the meaning of the sentence in bold.  Author wrote the following sentence:

  The use of unemployment rate as the sole basis for the Variable Entrance Requirement is firstly problematic because the 3-month moving average is used. This means that the adjustment of the Variable Entrance Requirement substantially lags actual conditions in regional labour markets.

I am particularly confused by how the author used the word/verb lags. Shouldn't it be followed by behind?

So lag means fall behind in movement, progress, or development; not keep pace with another or others. But actual labour market conditions is not something countable.


texts: 'the whole, of which a part' vs 'the whole, a part of which'

texts:
Source: p 2 of 2, Relational Possessives Such as “Him” and “Her”, by
Neal Whitman BA PhD

Foreword: To differentiate the two nouns surrounding of which, I replace the original quote's:
'car' with 'part' (abbreviated to P)   and  'windshield' with 'whole' (abbreviated to W).

  Sometimes the idea that inanimate nouns don’t have possessive forms shows up in a more specific claim: That the relative pronoun “whose” cannot refer to an inanimate noun. This is the idea that a phrase such as
  “[1.] the W whose P got cracked by a piece of gravel”
  should actually be phrased
  “[2.] the W of which P got cracked by a piece of gravel.”

  As I wrote in episode 108, “‘whose’ is the only English word we have to refer to inanimate antecedents. Perhaps someone will invent a new word for this purpose, but as of now we’re stuck with ‘whose.’ ”

Consider 3 defined as follows. Then I can tolerate that 1 = 3.

3. the W, the P of which got cracked ...

But how does 2 = 3? 2 seems wrong because from Definition 1.0, of expresses P as a part of W. So must P precede  of which, as in 3, but unlike 2?

George Washington's 1789 Inaugural Address exemplifies the syntax in 2:

  [4.] Among the vicissitudes incident to life[,] no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order [...].

I didn't understand 4 until I rewrote the preposition + relative pronoun:

5. [...] no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that [event] [,] the notification [of which] was transmitted  [...]


texts: Use of prepositions in time period expressions: "from 1 to 6 December" or simply "1 to 6 December"?

texts:
Is it correct to say "from 1 to 6 December"?
Or we need to use just "1 to 6 December"?

For example like in this sentence,

  This subscription is available only from 1 to 6 December.


texts: Should I use present or present perfect in this case

texts:
Should I say

  If you haven't recovered the payment within 6 days, paypal will cancel it.

or

  If you don't recover the payment within 6 days, paypal will cancel it.

I think the first one is the best because within 6 days is a period of time.


texts: Could have - Would have been able - Could have been able

texts:
Is there any difference between:

I could have done it

I would have been able to do it

I could have been able to do it

I think the third one is excessive because it has two the same elements of possibility while the two first ones seem to be equal


texts:
I understand "than exists as a result of lockdowns" as "than (the current damage to the economy that) exists as a result of lockdowns". Am I on the right track?

When and how a country should ease restrictions are the common challenges that governments worldwide now face as they seek to balance various health, social, and economic concerns. WHO has warned that a premature lifting of lockdowns could spark a resurgence of infections and cause even more severe, longer-term damage to the economy than exists as a result of lockdowns.4 Rawaf and colleagues5 have outlined four public-health principles that should be considered in each country's exit strategy: infection status, community acceptance, public-health capacity, and health-system capacity.

Source: The Lancet


texts:
What tense should I use with after?

  I told you you wouldn't be surprised after I tell you this?

  I told you you wouldn't be surprised after I had told you this?

  I told you you wouldn't be surprised after I told you this?


texts:
I have a difficulty with "the more... the more..." structure.

I am not sure the following sentence is the right use of the structure.

  The more satisfied you are with your job, the more effort you could put into your work.

I assume everyone knows what I am trying to say. It is the right use of the structure?


texts: Is this relative clause correct? " There are three people like eating bread."

texts:
Is this sentence correct?  I bet we need "who" in the middle.

There are three people like eating bread.


texts:
Which is correct in the following?

I am invited to meet the president.
I am invited to meet with the president.


texts:
I was reading a book ("The Telephone" by Kornie Chukovsky) and came across the expression "where do you happen to be?". Here is the context:

  My telephone rang. A: "Hello, who's speaking?" B: "The Elephant."

  A: "Oh, where do you happen to be?" B: "Jungle-Town, Camel-Street, 3."

  A: "What do you want?" B: "Some chocolate, sweet, to give my sonnie a
  bit of a treat."

As far as I can understand "where do you happen to be?" seems to be something similar to "where are you?".
What does "where do you happen to be?" really mean?
What's the difference between "where do you happen to be?" and "where are you?" ?


texts:
We have two cars. My brother had taken one and wasn't back yet. My dad wanted to go out. So he asked (because my mom wasn't home too):

  Is the other car there?

Does this sound fine?

P.S. And does "taken" in the description sound fine?


texts: Subject-Verb Agreement in this sentence? "... right behind Daniel was/were Jane and a man who she assumed was her father."

texts:
While writing a sentence like this one, is it okay to use "was" or should it be "were"?

  Sarah skidded to a stop, for right behind Daniel was/were Jane and a man who she assumed was her father.

Should I use "were" to indicate two subjects (Jane and her father)?


texts:
What does "My grammy never give gifts" mean?
Basically, I want to know the meaning of grammy.


texts: Present Simple or Continuous in this sentence? Which is correct?

texts:
The sentence is:

"Well, I normally do eight hours a day, but at the moment I'm working at least ten hours and some Saturdays."

"Well, I normally do eight hours a day, but at the moment I work at least ten hours and some Saturdays."

What is the best to use?


texts: My father, hence my mother, {is | are} catholic

texts:
A quite common structure in logical argument, is "name1, hence name2, verb". I am wondering about the correct form of the verb following such a structure when such a structure is a subject.

Should we always use plural, as if it was "name1 and name2"? Or singular when name1 (or both name1 and name2?) is singular.

For example, which of the following is correct?

  My parents have the same religion. My father, hence my mother, is catholic.

or

  My parents have the same religion. My father, hence my mother, are catholic.


texts:
I've seen that the 'Be + to verb' is really formal. Although, is there a less formal way to say the same thing the 'Be + to verb' does?

Some examples:

  You are to study without watching tv.

  If I were to be the doctor, I would be unhappy;


texts: What does rolling mean in describing blackout?

texts: I watch news video and notice they use "rolling" to describe a blackout at current snow disaster. I googled, it has many meanings. I am not sure which one fits. Common usage of rolling is rotating, but it doesn't fit. Does it mean repeated? Or endless in a metaphoric way?


texts:
I am not able to parse the following bold part of the sentence:

  Appeals by the convicts are only to be expected, and the Judge Tejwinder Singh’s approach and the manner in which he appreciated the evidence would be determined by higher courts. (Source: The Hindu)

I parse it two ways:

  Appeal by the convicts are only------ (Here only goes with the first part)

  -------------------Only to be expected (Here only goes with the second part)

I am confused; which one is correct?


texts: if none observe me -- why not "if none observes me"?

texts:
That's a famous quote from Franz Kafka.

  if none observe me, I have to observe myself all the closer.


texts:
At times, I am reluctant to use the word 'detail' simply because I actually don't want any detail.

Say, I just need dates of account opening and closure. That's it! How do I express it?

  You just need some _________ like dates of your account  Sir, before I proceed, I need few ________ about yourself. Your name, and age.  Lost phone? Okay, tell me _________ like which company it was of and what was the IMEI number?

Now, in above all blanks the word 'things' works perfectly. But calling those all things 'thing' seems down to me!

On the other hand, 'details' means more, much...in content. Asking just two stuff or things is asking for the details? I'm not sure.

Is there any word that can replace detail if the required thing is NOT actually in detail but just one or two in number.

Note: I could think of using the word 'brief,' but as in the dictionaries, it does not fit here. In fact, to my surprise, brief, at times, is detailing!


texts: Should I use the progressive aspect or not?

texts:
He seldom has fatty food.

  He is seldom having fatty food.

Choose the correct alternative out of the above two sentences.  Please specify the reason as well. Grammatically, I believe both are correct.


texts: What are constructions like "the getting-to-know-you stuff" called?

texts:
We don’t talk about anything substantial, it’s just the introductory session, the getting-to-know-you stuff; he asks me what the trouble is and I tell him about the panic attacks, the insomnia, the fact that I lie awake at night too frightened to fall asleep.

I have noticed that in English is often used some sort of condensation as in the bold pasage in my sentence. Is there the official term describing this practice where for example a clause is transformed by means of hyphens into this kind of the sentence element?


texts: What does "human corroborators" mean in this context?

texts:
In the 1950s the United States government made contact with a race of
  technologically advanced beings known as the Ghin. The Ghin leader, a
  brilliant scientist named Cronos, had come to earth seeking a cure for
  a deadly plague threatening to annihilate his race. Cronos believed
  the cure to the plague could be found within human DNA, which was
  remarkably similar to that of the Ghin.

  Embroiled in a deadly cold war with the USSR, the United States
  government agreed to provide Cronos asylum and, more importantly,
  access to US citizens as test subjects in exchange for Ghin
  technology. With the bargain struck, a group of high-powered
  individuals known as the Majestic 12 initiated a secret government
  program. The project, codenamed Aquarius, saw the creation of several
  underground facilities classi ed far beyond top secret. For over  fty
  years, Cronos conducted his gruesome experiments on an unsuspecting
  population with the aid of those who were entrusted to protect them.

  With the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war,
  relations between the Ghin and the US began to deteriorate. Only
  Cronos’ threat of exposing the Faustian deal kept the US government
  continually supplying test subjects.

  Less than twenty-four hours ago, several test subjects managed to
  escape the Subterra Bravo facility. Their actions led to a complete
  breakdown in relations between the human corroborators and Cronos’
  minions. Having planned for this eventuality, the US government has
  enacted Omega Protocol . . .

Source: Level 7 [Omega Protocol] boardgame manual

I looked up the word corroborate but I can't grasp the relation between its meaning "to confirm/support a theory/finding" and these "human corroborators" from the text. What are they supposed to confirm?


texts:
I feel like there is no difference between the two words. Would you tell me what is the difference between them?

I'm an electrical engineer. Which one should I use to speak about electricity, electrons, wires, electromagnetic waves and so on...?

Thank you,


texts: Is "put in all" grammatic for written english?

texts:
It sound like the tutorial is saying

  if you want to you can go ahead and put
  in all your bottoms and then put in all
  your tops

I guess "put in all" is easy to understand in everyday speech.

The question is, is that grammatic for written english?


texts: "it proved advantageious" -- Is "X proves ADJ" an acceptable usage?

texts:
One consequence of the agrarian agitations was the increased use of machinery and the reduction in the number of hands employed, which if it proved advantageous to the landlord and to the few laborers retained, who received higher wages, resulted in an increase of unemployment.

Source: The Encyclopaedia Britannica : a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information, Volume XV, 11th ed. (1911), page 80.


texts:
In a psychiatric paper I have encountered a sentence which is unclear to me:

  It would clearly be preferable if all clinicians and researchers used the same terminology and DSM categories are but one option.

I'm interested in the meaning of the last turn of speech, i.e. but one option. I think this is some sort of idiom, but I can't figure out its sense, it may be "the best option" as well as "the last option" or "the worst option". Also, it will be interesting to learn how to use this phrase properly.


texts:
the following is the result of me translating and then subtitling I am not entirely sure if I should use a comma at the end of the 1st line or even in the second line. but I chose to put it as follows.

  The reason why we eat oil and fats

  and the reason we say that one is healthy, and the other is harmful

  is that there are two types of Omega, aka fatty acids that the body
  needs.

the following is more confusing, as it's not clear to me whether I can use a semi colon in the first 2 sentences in place of ", and", then right after that use
semi colon because it's a list with comma used in one of the ingredients(the last one).

  This subject specifically has shocked me.

  I decided to flip the table while drinking a cup of Matcha tea,
    and tell you how to fry;

  which oil to fry in;

  which oils are beneficial and which are harmful;

  what to know about your frying oil of choice;

  everything about olive oil, butter, ghee, and other types of oil.


texts: How each and individually differ as an adverb?

texts:
The legs of the chair are individually joined to the seat by screws.
  The legs of the chair are each joined to the seat by screws.

I would like to know if there is any difference between the two sentences above I created. I think the first sentence means each leg is joined by one or more screws while the second means each leg is joined by two or more screws, but I am not sure it is correct.


texts: What does "got carried off the field" imply or mean in this sentence?

texts:
I couldn't get the implication or metaphor of the phrase in the following sentence; is it a slang?

The context is :

Bruce Banner, the Hulk, got under the mind control of Wanda, and he went rogue, causing great damage to the civilians. The whole team is a mess now.

Here is the sentence:

  He was talking to Maria Hill, who was on the dashboard screen. “The
  news is loving you guys,” she said. “Nobody else is. There’s been no
  official call for Banner’s arrest, but it’s in the air.”

  “The Stark Relief Foundation—” Tony began, but she was ahead of him.

  “Already on the scene. How’s the team?”

  “Everyone’s . . .” Tony had meant to say something reassuring, but he
  couldn’t make it happen. “We took a hit. We’ll shake it off.”

  “People find out the Avengers got carried off the field, there’s going
  to be panic,” Hill said. “And that’s from the people that like you.”

  “Recommendation,” Tony said.

  “Stay in stealth mode and stay away from here.”

  “So run and hide.”

  “Until we can find Ultron,” Hill said, “I don’t have a lot else to offer.”

  The Avengers


texts:
English speaker but this still gets me...

  It is

Is this a complete sentence?


texts:
It involved producing new or improved products with evolving marketing methods focused on core market targets.

I think which are can be understood to be between methods and focused:
..with evolving marketing methods which are focused on core market targets.

But why can't it be " methods focusing on core market segments" ?
transformed from which focus:
..with evolving marketing methods which focus on core market targets.


texts: 'all of which' vs. 'any one of which' vs. 'each of which'

texts:
1) ... if you tried to compare can't with cannot and can not, all of which are distinct in English, you'd end up ...

  2) ... if you tried to compare can't with cannot and can not, any one of which is distinct in English, you'd end up ...

  3) ... if you tried to compare can't with cannot and can not, each of which is distinct in English, you'd end up ...

Which one is good English, and why?


texts: Is it meaningful that one adds "-to-be" at the end of a word and coins a new word?

texts:
In one context, I read the beneath sentence:

  Some authors-to-be and new authors have trouble figuring out precisely how to leverage that book into speaking.

in which, the expression of "authors-to-be" was mind-boggling. I conjecture that its meaning is "authors have lived and worked so far". If so, my inquiry is it is possible that one appends "-to-be" at the end of a word to mint a neologism?

  For example, can (runner-to-be, athlete-to-be, singer-to-be, engineer-to-be, doctor-to-be, etc.) be minted?


texts: Which one is more natural: "cut bread thin", "cut up bread thin", "cut bread thinly" or "cut up bread thinly"?

texts:
Tell me please which of the following sentence sounds the most natural.

  You have to cut the bread thin.

  You have to cut up the bread thin.

  You have to cut the bread thinly.

  You have to cut up the bread thinly.

If none sounds natural, then what would you say?


texts: Gerund or Infinitive? (an example sentence)

texts:
Which sentence is true?

I think there is a hidden agenda in the proposal to reduce the staff in order to make the company more efficient.

I think there is a hidden agenda in the proposal reducing the staff in order to make the company more efficient.

If both are correct, are there any differences in their meaning?


texts: What does "in steps of + a certain number" mean?

texts:
What does “in steps of + a certain number” mean?

It was in this video. Here is the context:

  After tha they will have to count backwards from 1022 in steps of 13.


texts: Differences between "cut", "cut off", and "cut out"

texts:
Choose cut, cut off or cut out for each figure.

I refered to the Macmillan dictionary for a full list of usages, and found this:

Cut (into more than 2 pieces, in 0.5 or 2 pieces, cut hair,...)
Cut out for cutting a piece from large object (article from magazine)
Cut off to split to remove (cut off your arm)

However I am still confused regarding the figures in question.

I suspect it should be:

Cut (because we split it into two)
Cut out (because we cut out a large circle)
Cut off (because it was a small piece from the end)

Can someone give a better explanation?


texts: Word for "penis" when speaking to children

texts:
Is there a word in English commonly used to mean "penis" when speaking to babies or children?

For example, in Russian we say "пипка." My son's learning English from me and I want to teach him this in English.


texts: 'I wasn't allowed' or 'I wasn't allowed to'?

texts: Is it appropriate to say “I wasn’t allowed?” I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it said before to me, but instinctively I want to say “I wasn’t allowed to.” We usually say that “I wasn’t allowed to ______,” but what if we omit the blank? Would the “to” still be necessary after “allowed”?


texts:
Source

  she meets a man named Hae-Joo Im, who it is revealed was behind her friend, and then her.

What does this mean behind her friend, and then her?


texts: How to use "as" with "or" in one sentence

texts:
I would like to express two different points in one sentence using "as" and "or".

In my area of study, we have an independent case, that is the two variables are independent. I built a new method, and I already know that my variables are independent. However, I would like to test the performance of my method. The result of my method was very close (for some variables) to the independence case while it was exactly independent for other variables.

I would like to express my found in one sentence, as follows:

The result of this method is treated as, or very close to, independence case.

I feel my sentence is wrong because:

If I need to write the first part of the sentence, then I need to express it as follows:

The result of this method is treated as an independent case.

If I need to write only the send part, then I need to write this:

The result of this method is treated to be very close to an independent case.

How can I express my sentence is a correct way?


texts: how to express a sentence with is +verb+ing

texts:
I would like to express my sentence using is +verb+ing however, I feel the grammar is wrong.

The one main advantagae of using model A is allowing specifying different marginal distribution for each variable

I feel that the grammar is worng for allowing specifying

Is my sentence correct? if not, then how can I edit it?

Thank you so much for your help.


texts:
a. He thinks he has every kind of disease. One day he thinks he has lung cancer. The next day he thinks he has stomach cancer. And then he thinks he thinks he has liver problems. It never ends.

b. He thinks he has all kinds of disease. One day he thinks he has lung cancer. The next day he thinks he has stomach cancer. And then he thinks he thinks he has liver problems. It never ends.

c. Every kind of disease there is, he thinks he has. One day he thinks he has lung cancer. The next day he thinks he has stomach cancer. And then he thinks he thinks he has liver problems. It never ends.

Which of the above are grammatically correct and are meaningful?

The issue for me is that he never thinks that he has all kinds of disease at the same time. There is no point in time where he says: 'I have all the diseases there are.' Every time it is a different disease. But he goes through them all in the long run. That is why I am not sure that the sentences work.


texts:
I wonder whether there exists any difference between the following two sentence structures:

I find X to be Y
I find that X is Y

Example:

I find the research literature not to be optimally organized.
I find that the research literature is not optimally organized.

Do they carry a similar meaning, and can they be used interchangeably?


texts:
I have found a book with a title "Feudlings" and can't find out the meaning. It is a Romeo & Juliet story about two teenagers from warring households who are supposed to end a 300-year-long war by killing the other, but fall in love.
All the dictionaries suggest me a similar word "feuding" but I think it's not the same.
Can you please explain the meaning of the word and give a couple examples with it?


texts: What are some good methods to learn how to pronounce the letter V

texts: My friend has a problem pronouncing V. It sounds just like a W. I'm looking for some good methods to help him pronounce V. Bear in mind I have no language teaching experience.


texts:
Are both of these phrases grammatically correct?

  Preparation of medicinal plant extract.

or

  Preparation medicinal plant extract.

Can both be used as headings?


texts: What is the meaning of "notice to quit at once" and "Lotty points”

texts:
Lord Beamys led the way with Mrs. Gervase, Mrs. Dixon followed with Sir Vivian Ponsonby, and the multitudes that followed cried, saying, “What a dear old man!”—“Isn’t it kind of him to come all this way?”—“What a sweet expression, isn’t it?”—“I think he’s an old love”—“One of the good old sort”—“Real English nobleman”—“Oh most correct, I assure you; if a girl gets into trouble, notice to quit at once”—“Always stands by the Church”—“Twenty livings in his gift”—“Voted for the Public Worship Regulation Act”—“Ten thousand acres strictly preserved.” The old lord was leering pleasantly and muttering to himself: “Some fine gals here. Like the looks of that filly with the pink hat. Ought to see more of her. She’d give Lotty points.”

It's from Arthur Machen's The Hill of Dreams

if a girl gets into trouble; notice to quit at once

Who is receiving the quit notice and what exactly is a quit notice in this context? Is Lord punishing and firing some girl if she gets herself into trouble? There is no explanation in the book, that is all there.

Lotty points: I think the Lord here likes the girl and is then saying something inappropriate. Lotty points? What is that? I couldn't find anything. Is it the lottery? Or is he making a joke about horse racing? Because he likened her to a filly.


texts: Why are the vowels in "decisive" and "decision" different?

texts:
"Decision" is a very common and I have known it for most of the time in my life. It's pronunciation is /dɪˈsɪʒ.ən/. "Decisive" may be common in English speaking countries but I came across it not long ago. When I first saw "decisive", I pronounced the vowel in its second syllable the same as I would pronounce "decision" with, that is, /ɪ/ (the short vowel).
The actual pronunciation of "decisive" is: /dɪˈsaɪ.sɪv/. The second syllable of "decisive" has /aɪ/ and the second syllable of "decision" has /ɪ/. Both are three syllables words.
Why is this so? Is there any "reason" for this irregularity?
I can't find anything on Google, I searched many different things but all I get is dictionary definitions of "decision" or "decisive".


texts: Why is the definite article used in "I live in the city"?

texts:
Where do you live? -- I live in the city.

THE is used when talking about something which is already known to the listener or which has been previously mentioned, introduced, or discussed. But, the specific city where the speaker lives was not mentioned yet.

So, why is it used in this sentence?


texts: Different in bombastic, grandiloquent and ostentatious?

texts:
The words bombastic, grandiloquent and ostentatious are synonyms. They all mean trying to paint you as a better person than you really are. When I looked them up in my English - Vietnamese dictionary, the meaning of them in Vietnamese are the same.
In English, I found these definitions:

bombastic using words that are intended to impress people but do not sound sincere or do not express things very clearly
grandiloquent expressed in extremely formal language in order to impress people, and often sounding silly because of this
ostentatious intended to impress people or attract their admiration, in a way that you think is extreme and unnecessary

I can tell the meanings are similar, but I haven't mastered English enough to tell if there are any differences between them. Can they be used interchangeably? Or are their some contexts where it makes more sense to use one over the other?
I'm trying to figure out, if I wanted to use one of these words, is there one that might sound better (or more out of place) to a native English speaker?


texts:
I brought my son to the washroom to wash his hands.

He didn't want to get out of the washroom.

  "Get out of here."

  "Go out"

  "Go outside"

Is the 1st one more command and 2nd and 3rd more politely?


texts: What is "at" used to express in each case?

texts:
1.I want to succeed at life.
2.I want to win at life.
3. I want to flourish at life.
4. I want to do well at life.
5.I don't want to fail at life.

6.I want to succeed at love.
7.I want to win at love.
8.I want to do well at love.
9.I don't want to fail at love.

10.I was failing at my effort to make peace.

11.I want to succeed at my dream.
12.I don't want to fail at my dream.

I have found "at life", "at love", "at my effort", "at my dream" often used in such cases as above.
By the way, I wonder what "at" means in each case because "at" doesn't mean the same thing  .
Specifically speaking, I mean, from 1 to 10, "at" seems to be used to express the moment of being alive (=at life), the moment of being in love with (=at love), the moment of making my effort (=at my effort), but from 11 to 12, "at" seems to be used to express the goal(=my dream) that the subject(=I) wants to achieve.

I wonder whether I'm right.
Thank you very much for your help!


texts: Is the verb wrong in "There is twenty horses"?

texts:
There is twenty horses.

Is there an error in this sentence? Twenty is more than one, so there are should have been used.

Why the use of there is with plural?


texts:
I wrote:

  If the user intends to extract specific/certain data, she must first create an appropriate pattern for this purpose and mark it for data extraction ("Extract Data" checkbox in the form shown in Figure 4).

What is the difference and usage of "specific" and "certain"? Which should I use in my sentence?


texts:
Consider the following two sentences.

Doing laundry is a household chore.
Doing laundry is a type of household chore.

I guess the first is more natural, but why? One of the possible explanations might be less is more which seems general, are there any other explanations for this use?


texts:
Why is it okay to say "get injured" but not "get increased"?

For example:

  I got injured yesterday.
  My salary got increased yesterday.

I know the second sentence doesn't sound natural and right in English, but I can't figure out what exactly is wrong with it.


texts: Is "I was scared by ..." in the passive voice?

texts:
I'm having a discussion with someone and we are having a few disagreements over whether this sentence is passive voice or not:

  I was scared by the noise.

We've discussed linking verbs, whether scared is an adjective, whether it is the past participle of the verb scare in the active voice, etc.

So, is that sentence in the passive voice?


texts: What does "save by unhappy chance" mean?

texts:
I have stumbled on this quote in Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring. Here is the scene. It's around 1 minute and 44 seconds.

Boromir:
What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the Ring. And you will beg for death before the end! [Frodo tries to walk away] You fool! It is not yours, save by unhappy chance! It could have been mine! It should be mine! [pins Frodo to the ground] Give it to me! GIVE IT TO ME!


texts: If I explain a certain word, should I put the definite article?

texts:
If someone asks me what some loan word stands for, should I put the article in front of it?

ex.:

  What's the meaning of Gon?

  Gon is an animal which lives under the sea

Or

  The Gon is an animal which lives under the sea

I think "Gon stands for an animal which lives under the sea" is the correct answer, because in this situation, Gon means a word itself, not an animal


texts:
Whatever and no matter how much is thrown into the pit, it stays empty.
Is there a better substitute for "no matter how much" in the above sentence? like the word 'whatever' is being used for 'no matter what', what single word can be used to indicate 'any quantity' here?


texts: His path was beset with/by difficulties - which is correct?

texts:
His path was beset _____ difficulties.

A) by
B) with

I am confused between the two,  some sites suggest "with" while some suggest "by".

Can anyone explain when to use which?


texts:
I would like to know which of the following sentences is more correct and should I write an auxiliary verb twice like in the first one (for instance: I was reading book and having coffee or I was reading book and was having coffee).

Someone has fallen off the ladder and has hurt the leg.
Someone has fallen off the ladder and hurt the leg.


texts: Is the following sentence grammatically incorrect? If so why?

texts:
No, impossible. Could someone I barely knew, know so much about me?

Is this sentence gramatically incorrect? If so, what would be the correct version? (While maintaining more or less the same structure?)


texts:
In the following sentence:

  Our method cannot achieve 100 percent accuracy compared to the DART method due to the imprecise modeling.

This sentence appears to have the format of [subject][verb][object]compared to[subject][verb][object].

Is "compared to" a verb in this sentence?


texts:
While I was reading my grammar book I found below sentences with explanations:

  1) A Cow is a useful Animal.

  2)The Dog is a faithful animal.

I don’t know why “A cow” is used and why “The dog” is used. 1) Can’t they just be “Cow is a useful animal” ,  “Dog is a faithful animal”??

2)What is the difference in meaning when articles “a/an” and “the” before name of animal (I mean difference between “A cow” and “the cow”)


texts:
I am writing an essay and don't know if you can start a sentence with "seeing as". Here is my sentence:

  Seeing as I’ve chosen to examine the Wari culture a common theme between these articles is Peru.


texts: Can I use "earn" in this way in this sentence? "Working earns one more freedom"

texts:
In Merriam webster I see such a use of "earn" in the meaning of
"b :  to make worthy of or obtain for "

But my friend insists that it does not sound well because whatever is used in dictionary does not have to be common usage of that meaning of the word.

She thinks everybody knew that but I thought because dictionary are also open to revision and updates, if I see a word's use in a dictionary, particularly online ones which can be dynamically and frequently updated, it means it is in common use. Am I wrong? what is the truth of online dictionaries, do they contain only common use or everything which then my friend is right about.?

So my sentence is correct and used in common or not?
If not, how can I say it that sounds more natural?


texts: Does this negative permeate into the following words or not:"doing absolutely nothing to help alleviate the dreadful, crushing strain"?

texts:
The edge of paranoia always apparent in Colin's dealings with the world was becoming more pronounced; and meanwhile, Tessa was pretending to be oblivious, doing absolutely nothing to help alleviate the dreadful, crushing strain.
  (The Casual Vacancy, by J. K. Rowling)

Does the negative sense in ‘nothing’ permeate all the rest words that follow? Or does the following to-infinitve is an independent meaning unit that is blocked away from the negative?
If the former is right, I guess you might say to-infinitive modifies nothing; if the latter, you might say to-infinitive is an adjunct denoting a purpose.


texts:
I recommended that we all go together, so no one gets lost.

Here we have 'recommended' which is in past simple and 'go' which, as far as I can understand, is present subjunctive, but 'gets' is in present simple, why? What if we had 'got' instead of 'gets' to match the tense of 'recommended'?


texts: On the coexistence of *ever* and *yet* in 'you haven't *ever* heard Charly, Sharon, Cameron and so on *yet*'

texts:
Clearly, you haven't ever heard Charly, Sharon, Cameron and so on yet.

Can ever and yet correctly coexist in the above sentence?
If yes, can we suppress one of them without change in meaning?
If not, why not?


texts: Which is correct, bloodsucker or bloodsuckers?

texts:
In the following sentence, which is correct, bloodsuckers or bloodsucker? Please explain it to me.

  No other insect bloodsucker/bloodsuckers is/are as highly developed as mosquitoes.


texts: She and her sisters ____ our dog (adore) ...what should come here?

texts: Do we treat it as singular or plural? Will it be adore or adores?


texts: with you like something / with you like with something

texts:
I've been told by native speakers that "I've been playing with you like a little toy" is more appropriate than "I've been playing with you like with a little toy". Why is that? I can't seem to understand why "like a little toy" wouldn't imply that it is me who is a little toy, and I'm playing with you (although I get that it wouldn't make any sense). What is the grammar rule that can resolve my question?

I would understand it, if it was that you don't use "with" when you say "playing you" instead of "playing with you", which creates incompatibility between "you" and "a little toy" in the sentence, in my mind.

Also, another question, that popped up in my mind while I was writing this. Is it correct to say "I get that..." or "I get it that..." (like in "although I get that it wouldn't make any sense" that I wrote)?


texts: Difference between assist in and assist?

texts:
What is the difference in the meaning between "assist in" and "assist" ?

Suppose Kim went to a foreign country and lost Kim's wife.

1) The policeman assists Kim in finding Kim's wife

2) The policeman assists Kim finding Kim's wife

Does 1) sentence mean "Kim lost his wife. and Kim calls the police. The policeman arrives at Kim. The policeman is trying to find Kim's wife  (Kim is not trying to find Kim's wife. Kim only waits at the police station for the police to come with his wife. )" ?

Does 2) sentence mean "Kim lost his wife. and Kim is finding Kim's wife. Kim does not find Kim's wife. and Kim calls the police. The policeman arrives at Kim. The policeman and Kim is trying to find Kim's wife " ?


texts: Is there any need of two 'and's in this sentence?

texts:
Is there any need of two ands in this sentence?

  The so called Rational Supernaturalism admits the supernatural revelation in holy scripture, and puts reason alongside of it as an equally legitimate source of religious knowledge, and maintains the rationality of the contents of revelation.
  Source: Church history by Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich), 1809-1890; Macpherson, John; p.196


texts: Why was the simple past used instead of the present perfect in "Over the past decade, India witnessed widespread economic growth"?

texts:
In the following paragraph, simple past has been used, rather than present perfect. I fail to understand why present perfect was not used. When we say 'over the past decade', it means the time extends upto present, but still present perfect was not used and I have seen many examples of present perfect being used on the internet with 'over the last' decade.

  Over the past decade, India witnessed widespread economic growth as well as faster and more widespread poverty reduction. However,
  some states did not benefit as much as others. The seven ‘low-income
  states’ (LIS) in particular — Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya
  Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — continue to lag behind
  the rest of the country.

Why has simple past been used instead of present perfect? In my opinion "present perfect" should be as Over the past decade extends to present. How would the use of present perfect be different than simple past?


texts:
I want to say in English about some fact in the past, but it has an impact the present:

  I have starting going to the gym last week? (I still go there)

or

  I have started going to the gym last week? (I still go there)

What about that I want to say about the same action, but that action began much earlier:

  I have starting going to the gym two years ago? (I still go there)

or

  I have started going to the gym two years ago? (I still go there)


texts: Would adding "always" and "possible" make this more readable?

texts:
I just answered a question on the math exchange.

  The sum of each row is 1, whereas the sum of column is not.

about which I would like to improve some readability.

is the following one better? is it grammatical, idiomatic and more readable?

  The sum of each row is always 1, whereas the sum of column is possibly not.


texts: Article usage in this particular sentence

texts:
I've got this sentence I struggle a bit with.

After all, the game is always evolving and our developers do pay
attention to (the) balance and (the) feedback the players provide.

Given that the sentence is about a specific game, am I correct in my assessment that 'the' in brackets should be added? In the first case, the implication is that devs care about the game's balance and not just abstract balance as an entity. In the second case, I honestly cannot explain the usage of 'the', but it seems more natural to me.


texts:
Is it standard English to write:

"He returned from living in Europe."
"He returned from working overseas."

where "return from" is followed by an activity instead of a place?


texts:
Which is correct in the following sentence and why?:

I met some people who 'hold' strong views on this issue;
I met some people who 'held' strong views on this issue.

I think "2" is correct in the perspective of tense agreement.


texts: "Bounce to the beat" meaning in this context

texts:
I was reading about acting out while saying a rhyme and I found this line:

  Gently bounce baby to the beat.

Being a learner I suppose:

"Bouncing to the beat" is the same pattern as "dancing to the song"

Am I correct?

Now,

The word bounce generally means move back after hitting something.

I am rather confused as to what the bouncing a baby actually mean.

Please help.

Thanks in advance


texts: Nobody could get in or out before the protests start/started

texts:
In this clip of an American talk show, the host says at 18 seconds into the video:

  At the airport in Los Angeles, there was chaos and confusion. Nobody could get in or out before the protests start -- that was before.

In the second sentence, she talks about what happened in the past. Then, shouldn't it be "started" instead?


texts:
Note that the job finished at 17:00:00. I would recommend verifying
  which steps were taken after this time?

How can I ask someone what they did (or which steps they went through) after 17:00:00?

TIA.

[Edit]: For further clarification, this is a batch job that runs on the customer machine. I want to ask the customer what happened after the batch job successfully completed. Did they take any further steps after 17:00:00?


texts: What do you call a plan that's an alternative plan in case your initial plan fails?

texts:
I think there's a word or an adjective for it, but I don't remember what it was. I don't want to say plan B, because that's too informal, but I remember there was a good word for it. I just don't remember it anymore.

For example:

  The army was flanked by the enemies unexpectedly so that the general
  had to rely on his ___ plan.


texts: Single word for someone that doesn't sleep because he's working to hard

texts: Looking for one word that would describe someone that works so hard that he doesn't sleep. Now, i thought of sleepless and restless but it doesn't fit the description. I was wondering if there was another word besides workaholic.Someone that will be willing to sacrifice sleep to reach their goals.


texts: Would you help me understand the meaning of this excerpt

texts:
I started to read Mark Twain's book titled as "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". At the very beginning of the book I came across with this sentence:

  I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe the Mary.

Now I have two questions:

Is that "I never seen" part correct? Does it have anything to do with the dialect?
I cannot fully get the meaning of the sentence; Would you please tell me the meaning of the sentence in plain English. Particularly, I have problem with the "but" and "without it" parts.


texts: being+past participle without is/are - what is the rule?

texts:
English words being used in conversation.
being used - what is the rule?
If it is the passive voice (Continuous), why it is used without be, like
English words are being used in conversation.
If it is not passive voice, then what is the rule? I can not to find in Google.


texts:
I sometimes see sentences that their order is like when we use that order to ask a question. More clearly, I am giving the example in below;

  For had she done so, she would have concluded that my compliment was
  non sense and nowhere near anything that could be called truth.

Above in the text, have/had auxiliary verb comes before the subject she. And I often see this usage, in generally long sentences. What is the reason for that order ?


texts: If someone's house is leaking can I say 'he is leaking'? His house is leaking sounds alright but I d like to know if 'he is leaking' is also possible. Thank you!


texts: Does a restrictive word phrase or clause always limit the meaning of the word just before it?

texts:
Non-restrictive

  (of a relative clause or descriptive phrase) giving additional
  information about a noun phrase whose particular reference has already
  been specified.

I read that a restrictive word phrase or clause "limits" meaning, because it is not inessential. I get this. Is that "limit" always of the meaning of the word just before it, never a word before that or after itself?

An example of it doing so would be the following:

  My sister Susan went to the shop.

'Susan' limits the meaning of my 'sister', because I am expressing that it is not just any sister, but Susan. The non restrictive version would be:

  My sister, Susan, went to the shop.

Two follow on questions:

Can every restrictive word phrase and clause be made non-restrictive by the addition of a parenthetical comma, and vice versa by deleting parentheses.
And is every parenthetical element non restrictive?


texts: four the shortest sequences vs four shortest sequences

texts:
Is this sentence correct?

"we decided to fold only four the shortest sequences"

(it's a scientific text)

or "four shortest" should be used instead?


texts: I don't think I was fairly treated, but "then" that's life, isn't it?

texts:
What is "then" here?
I can hardly understand the "then" here.
"Then" means at a particular time in the past or in the future.


texts: "Seventy-seven head of cattle"? Singular or plural noun after numbers

texts:
In another translation from Chinese to English, I met this part -

  Seventy-seven head of cattle.

As far as I remember English grammar, head in this case can be used instead of heads only if we say something like

  Seventy-one head of cattle.

However, in any other case, we have to use heads, and the correct phrase would be

  Seventy-seven heads of cattle.

Am I right?


texts:
What do you call someone who fuses multiple objects together?

Is "fusioner" the right adjective of the noun "fusion"? I cannot find it in the dictionaries.

EDIT:

I am developing a machine learning algorithm that combines multiple neural networks. The way it does it is by fusing the last hidden layers, which in computer language, are numeric vectors like the following:

LHL1 = [2,4,6,2,7,3,2,4,6]
LHL2 = [6,3,4,7,8,3,2,4,9]
LHL3 = [2,2,8,8,9,9,3,2,4]

fused_LHL = [2,4,6,2,7,3,2,4,6,6,3,4,7,8,3,2,4,9,2,2,8,8,9,9,3,2,4]

I am thinking of a name for my algorithm and inspired by the operation of vector fusion, I thought to name it "Neural Network Fusioner". But as already mentioned, I am not sure if the word "Fusioner" exists, and if not, which would be the most appropriate alternative word.


texts: Is there a noun that means "Scared of being made fun of"?

texts: I am looking for a noun that is a synonym for "scared of being made fun of".


texts: Does "relentless" imply something bad and not very bad?

texts:
Consider this sentence

  It seemed he would never escape the relentless torture of being forced to choose a bride.

torture is bad though, this particular kind of torture (to choose a bride) is better than those real torture in real wars, right?

So, does "relentless" imply something bad and not very bad?

In other words, "relentless" usually is used in situations when things are not very bad?


texts: Can we use the word "sportsman" to refer to a person who engages in sport activities? Sportsman vs. Athlete

texts:
I came across this discussion on a translators' forum, and some people there say that

  Uh uh, NEVER use sportsman to mean athlete. Messi and Mayweather are athletes, not sportsmen. )

and

  A sportsman in actual usage (not in Wiki cut-n-paste lol) is someone who partakes in outdoor activities, like hunting, boating, fishing, etc...

It is so? In Russian, the generic term for a person engaged in sports is "sportsman", it is a loanword. Is it a "translator's false friend"? Would translating Russian "спортсмен" as "sportsman" instead of "athlete" always be a mistake?

The matter is, Wikipedia does state on its disambiguation page for "Sportsman" that

  Sportsman may refer to:
  Sportsperson, someone who enjoys sport


texts: What's the grammar of "Me, Benjamin Clawhauser, ... stereotyping you"?

texts:
"Zootopia" around 00:14:04/01:48:32

  Benjamin Clawhauser: O.M. Goodness... They really did hire a bunny. [Laughs] What!? I gotta tell you, you are even cuter than I thought you'd be!

  Judy Hopps: Ooh, uh, you probably didn't know, but a bunny can call another bunny cute, but when other animals do it, it's a little...

  Benjamin Clawhauser: [Gasps] I am so sorry! Me, Benjamin Clawhauser, the guy everyone thinks is just a flabby, donut-loving cop stereotyping you, oh...

(http://zootopia.wikia.com/wiki/Zootopia/Transcript)

1 Why is the subject "me" instead of "I"?

2 Is the sentence in the past continuous tense? "Me was stereotyping you"? Why is "was" missing?

relative: Why did Hopps the bunny use "didn't" when talking the present moment? Was it a kind of mood?


texts:
I have seen phrases like these:

All the villains of the deepest eye.
Allison was a religious bigot of the deepest eye.

What does it mean? Is it something like "to the greatest extent"?


texts: Is the word "could" here in the past or present?

texts:
SOURCE

Context : A guy wakes up and a girl tells him that he slept with her during the night (the girl is his friend). He denies this and says:

  Since you've tempted me so much until now, I would've done everything I could imagine throughout the night, so there's no way you would be so energetic right now.

By could, does he mean  everything he could (can) imagine (while he's speaking) or everything he could imagine during the night ? I know that sometimes we use could like can and I'm not sure which one is the correct one here.


texts: Why are there 2 syllables in the word "naked"? Why is the second syllable pronounced "id" and is there only one pronunciation for this word?


texts: What would you call a course provided by a company to give extra qualifications to its employees?

texts:
I was thinking something like integrative/supplementary/auxiliary/subsidiary courses/classes/lessons/training. I'm not sure which one would be best.

What I mean is a course that would give an employee extra knowledge in order to step up the career ladder and gain new responsabilities.

thanks


texts: What is the meaning of "I don't fault people people their suspicions" from the last line of the paragraph given down below?

texts: Or worse, I sound like I am trying to hide from myself. I don't fault people their suspicions.


texts: Adding "no" to the beginning of a sentence to negate it

texts:
A: "Let's eat."
B: "No let's eat." (I don't want to eat)

A: "Wash your hands."
B: "No wash your hands." (I don't want to wash my hands)

A: "I am going shopping."
B: "No I am going shopping." (don't go shopping)

Are those sentences starting with NO legitimate?


texts: "here and there was a tent" VS "here and there were tents"

texts:
They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious. ...

I found "here and there was a tent..." interesting. Apparently, there were many tents mentioned in this context, so I'm wondering why it didn't put "here and there were tents..." instead?


texts:
The example:
"If she had time, she might go to the party"

This is the Present Real Conditional Form (as I found in a grammar website).

Does using "might" here mean:

1- "I am not certain (now) whether she went to the party or not".

OR

2- " I was uncertain (in the past) that she went.

If it means "in the past" why then it is called the Present Real Conditional Form ?

If the uncertainty exists in the present, them Why  the sentence doesn't just use "may" ?

Thank you


texts:
Why the journalist use the word "would" in his sentence?For me it sounds more correct without this word at all.

"ZAKARIA: And the key here is, just so our viewers understand, that, right now, you have many forces that fight, Afghan National Army and Americans, in the old days, and then WOULD retreat to Pakistan, where they had safe havens, where they were essentially protected by the Pakistani military"


texts:
I'm confused about which sentence is correct :

  what control people's life

and

  what controls people's life

I think that the first sentence is correct when we talk about the factors and the second is correct when talking about the one factor


texts: Difference between "don't bother" and "you don't have to"

texts:
Someone said "Do you want me to wait for you?"  I don't want to cause any trouble to her. Which sentence is the most apppropriate?

"Thank you, but you don't have to."
"Don't bother about it."
"Don't bother waiting for me."

Also if there is any difference in the implications between "not bother" and "not have to", could you explain it?


texts: What's the role of "for" in this sentence?

texts:
Denis's drug war thriller, starring Emily Blunt, shot up to third with
  $12.1 million for the acclaimed Lionsgate release.

What's the role or function of "for" and what does "acclaimed" modify in this sentence?

Does it mean it made a good result because it was released by the Lionsgate which is acclaimed for good movies? Does it mean the Lionsgate was acclaimed or the movie released was acclaimed?


texts: Is "assume a noun" possible, instead of assume that~?

texts:
The verb to assume is followed by a clause or to infinitive.
Though dictionaries don't mention it, for me, it seems correct to use this structure: assume + a noun. For example:

  Assume a sudden increase in population, ~

Is such a structure appropriate, or should it be written in the clause?


texts:
I am wondering whether "in case of" with a verb in the past tense, like "decided," creates a correct expression.
For example:

  ...in case of he decided to reply.

Thank you


texts: We do not work {on, for, in} holidays. Which is correct?

texts:
I do not understand what should be the correct preposition for this sentence. EVERY option seems suitable.

  We do not work _____ holidays.

  a) on
  b) for
  c) in


texts: what could be the meaning of "welcome addenda"?

texts:
What could be the meaning (or a simple English explanation) of welcome addenda in this context or in any other? The dictionary defines "addenda" as  "textual matter that is added onto a publication; usually at the end", which doesn't seem to apply to "goods".

  An account states that the gifts and payments that a shaman receives are given by his partner spirit. Since it obliges the shaman to use his gift and to work regularly in this capacity, the spirit rewards him with the goods that it receives.[60] These goods, however, are only "welcome addenda". They are not enough to enable a full-time shaman. Shamans live like any other member of the group, as a hunter or housewife.


texts:
'"Ay," said De Aquila, all in a muse. "That man broke Harold of Norway
  at Stamford Bridge, and came near to breaking us at Santlache--all
  within one month."

  '"But how did he come alive from Santlache fight?" asked the King.
  "Ask him! Hast thou heard it, Rahere?" "Never. He says he has been
  stoned too often for telling the tale. But he can count you off
  Saxon and Norman shrines till daylight," said Rahere and the old man
  nodded proudly

This is from "The Tree of Justice" in "Rewars and Fairies" by Kipling.
http://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/RewardsFaries/treejustice.html

I do not understand the meaning below.
But he can count you off Saxon and Norman shrines till daylight,"

I am glad if somebody kindly teach me.


texts:
I can't get the difference between these ones in the following context. In PEU, Swan is talking about the differences between uses of the present progressive and the going to structure in sentences about the future. What he says is

  We often use the present progressive with verbs of movement, to talk about
  actions which are just starting.

and

  Another use of the going to structure is to predict the future on the
  basis of present evidence - to say that a future action or event is on
  the way, or starting to happen

He also provides the following examples:

  Look at the sky. It's gonna rain.

and

  Are you coming to the pub?

Could you explain the difference between the phrase using examples?


texts:
They were pleased with their lives and they were sure of their future.

Is it correct to make this sentence look like this

  They were pleased with their lives and were sure of their future.

or even

  They were pleased with their lives and sure of their future.

What about these examples:

  They will leave big cities and they will live in the countryside
  They will leave big cities and will live in the countryside
  They will leave big cities and live in the countryside

Are they all correct and have the same meaning? Is there any rule?


texts: In this passage how would the meaning change if we substitute “but” with “and”?

texts:
There was an unearthly quality to the atmosphere inside the Frieze New York art fair, like the air in a plane—still but pressurized, with an unsettling hum—when the fiction writer Ottessa Moshfegh visited to speak about her work one afternoon in May. “I hate this fair already,” she said when she walked in, handing her ticket to a very tall, very pale man dressed entirely in black lace. Almost immediately, she was lost in the labyrinth of works for sale: Takashi Murakami’s lurid blond plastic milkmaids with long legs and erect nipples; the words “any messages?” spelled out in neon tubing. It was like an enactment of the world inhabited by the protagonist of Moshfegh’s forthcoming novel, “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” …

  From The New Yorker, Ottessa Moshfegh’s Otherworldly Fiction by Ariel Levy

Still and pressurized VS still but pressurized? Maybe you can paraphrase that part of passage I would get the meaning.


texts: The voice he "made/took/sounded/spoke" on the phone call was not very sweet

texts:
Is "voice" on the phone call what we make or take or sound or speak?

  E.g, The voice he made/took/sounded/spoke on the phone call was not very sweet.

My guess is "make" is the most general verb that can take voice as an object. I guess this focuses on his action itself in the sentence.
For "take", it seems to focus on his deliberate choice of expressing an intention through the tone of the voice.
The verb "sound" seems to focus on the voice itself as a sound but I am not sure this is grammatical.
For "speak", it seems to focus on the content of what is described through the voice.

Even if this question might feel silly and absurd, I would be very grateful if this is genuinely regarded.


texts: What is a "side of parking in the blue zone"

texts:
In the movie Pay It Forward (25'37" in), there's this exchange.

A: They ought to fire your ass out of here right now!
B: Well, you know, they probably won't do that, because I fill a very excellent quota. I'm just this side of parking in the blue zone.
A: Oh, so you think you can do whatever you want just 'cause your face is messed up?

I'm getting a sense that it's a reference B's facial disfiguration somehow being classifiable as a handicap. (It's very slight, unnoticeable and hardly a cause for such, though.) However, assuming that it's what B refers to in their reply, I still can't figure out the part of this side of parking in the blue zone.
In some places, the signs for handicapped, elderly etc. are blue but so are many others so I'm not sure if it's even right idea. And being a side of parking in a zone (be that handicapped of any other kind) makes no sense to me.
So, while understanding the context and intended message, I'm not sure how to interpret the conversation in academic terms.


texts: Possessive "s" vs no possessive "s" when referring to animate objects

texts:
Which one is better (as a question in a forum):

  Number of family members: ......

  Number of family's members: .....


texts: When a demand contradicts law principles

texts:
Imagine someone is going to give an authority a big bribe to help him run a big project. The authority is a straight shooter and rejects his demand and overlooks the enticing bribe, because he thinks it contradicts the law principles. When he wants to deny the demand he should provide a reason (though he can do many other things e.g. arresting the guy etc.). I've made a sentence in my question, but I doubt how a native speaker would phrase it:

  Your demands are outside the law.
  Your demands are out of bounds of law.
  Your demands are outside the boundaries set by the law.

For me, they all work, but how a native would say it is what I need to discover.


texts:
I wanna say 4th week of the month.
But if I use "last week", that means the past week. Right ?
How to express real Last weekdays


texts: "Up to natural equivalence" versus "Up to a natural equivalence"

texts:
The expression "up to (a) natural equivalence" is typical in mathematics and means roughly that we consider objects to be the same under certain conditions. (For example, when you look at someones face at different moments you see different pictures, but you know that the face that you observe is the same).

I've noticed, however, that mathematicians use both "up to natural equivalence" and  "up to a natural equivalence". It seems to me that there is no difference in the meaning. It is true that both phrases are grammatically correct? It is possible to put this into some wider context?


texts:
Imagine somebody is trying to achieve something, and explains you what the task is. At some point, you need to make clear what it needs to be done, since the person talking to you doesn't seem to understand what you previously said.
Is it rude to start a sentence with "First off"?

As another example, suppose somebody is telling you that you said something, when you didn't. Would be rude to answer with "First off, I didn't say that."?


texts: The womanly and courtier-like quickness and tact habitual...?

texts:
the source WAR & PEACE: Leo Tolstoy

  But, with the womanly and courtier-like quickness and tact habitual to her, Anna ...

Could you please paraphrase what the writer tries to say here?

If womanly is an adjective, what a word does it describe?

What is the meaning of "courtier-like quickness"?


texts: Is the omission of commas accetpable in these cases?

texts:
1.The city Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria in the southeast corner of Australia.

Do I have to set off "Melbourne" with commas as in "The city, Melbourne, is the capital of the state of Victoria in the southeast corner of Australia."?

Or is there no need to add commas?

  2.The Berlin Games are best remembered for Adolf Hitler’s failed attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority.
  As it turned out, the most popular hero of the Games was the
  African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens.

As for the part "...was the African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens"
Do "Jesse Owens" have to be set off by a comma as in "was the African-American sprinter and long jumper, Jesse Owens"?

I have asked this question on the other sites as well, but haven't gotten clear answers on it, because their answers are all different. Some of them answered the first one is correct even without adding "of" or "commas" and the rest answered the first one is wrong without adding "of" or "commas" while the second is correct.

If the first one is wrong and "of" or "commas" have to be added, why is the second one correct even without "commas"?


texts:
The movie about the cursed child would have been made by 2020.

Or

  The movie about the cursed child would be made by 2020.

I want to know which of the sentences will hold good if the movie was to be shooted by 2020.


texts: I can find no contingency of tense here..or may be I am wrong?

texts:
"if you liked one piece, we can notify you when new chapters published"

in the sentence above, I cannot find any contingency. It's totally sprawling.

Shouldn't it be like

  "if you like one piece, we can notify you when new chapters publish"

The sentence I mentioned should be narrated in present tense, shouldn't it?


texts: circumstances/situations/contexts for the usage of an expression

texts:
In a post, Timberfall, an English learner asks the usage of "Have someone DO something VS. Have someone DOING something", an answer says

Both structures are idiomatic, Timberfall, but they are appropriate to slightly different circumstances.

It seems that "circumstances" is used as a synonym of "situations" or "contexts".
Therefore, when talking about the usage of an expression, a word or a phrase, circumstances/situations/contexts pretty much mean the same thing and are interchangeable. Is my understanding correct?
Are there any other synonyms that could be used here?


texts:
Why did Biden say "the count works" when he referred to votes?
Why not "the counting works"?
Is the second one wrong?


texts: How to say just want to let you know politely

texts:
I am not a native speaker, is it not polite if I say” just want to let you know?”
I am not sure if I told my friend before so I want to make sure she know where will the lesson take place.
Will it be more polite if I say” just making sure I let you know.....”


texts:
Do we need to use full stop after city while addressing a letter and after name?

E.g.

  No.3, Mane Road,
  London.

or

  Yours lovingly,
  John.


texts: 'the second', 'the moment' compared to 'as soon as' with respect to simultaneousness

texts:
I am looking for expressions that can substitute for as soon as as in the following context. What is important in this context is that the melting of snow happens extremely simultaneously and instantly as it reaches the ground. (Please excuse me, if the example sentence is clumsy. I am not a native English speaker and I'd like to be informed if there is something to fix with the sentence.)

Original Sentence(Context): Snow is melting away as soon as it gets on the ground. So it won't pile up.

Below are what I came up with.

Snow is melting away the (very) moment it gets on the ground.
Snow is melting away the (very) second it gets on the ground.

Can I use the expressions in article 1, 2 while keeping the connotation?
If then, is there any difference in the degree of simultaneousness between them?


texts: Plural or singular after a list of options?

texts:
Which of the following is correct:

  Only A, B or C is allowed
  Only A, B or C are allowed
  Only A, B and C is allowed
  Only A, B and C are allowed

And if some are correct, do they mean differently?


texts:
He abided by all the rules that were explained to him before the programme.

  He abided by all the rules that had been explained to him before the programme.

What is the difference b/w the two sentences??
Is it not compulsory to use perfect tense before "before"??


texts: I'm confused about the use of a comma here

texts:
Important note: This is an exercise in which I have to summarize written text in a single sentence. What I wrote as a summary was this:

Which one of these is correct regarding comma usage?: (NOTE: One adds a comma before "not only", and the other doesn't )

  Despite various setbacks since its foundation in 1698, London has surpassed New York, Frankfurt, and Tokyo as the world's most important money capital not only by the size of the funds managed but also because it controls 70% of the global secondary bond market and dominates foreign exchange trading.

OR

  Despite various setbacks since its foundation in 1698, London has surpassed New York, Frankfurt, and Tokyo as the world's most important money capital, not only by the size of the funds managed but also because it controls 70% of the global secondary bond market and dominates foreign exchange trading.

(A grammar app I have, corrects me when I put the comma between managed and but, so I guess a comma does not go there)


texts: Do I need to use definite article and commas in a defining relative clause?

texts:
Do I need to use 'the' instead of 'a' here? Are the punctuation marks correct?

  She gave him a reason. A reason, that was sufficient to burst a passion inside him so that he could reveal all his feelings.

I was searching for some essay conclusions examples on the Internet and found the following:

  My attitudes have greatly shaped after this study. I have realized the ways meat impact our life and health. Meatless meals might improve the health conditions of patients suffering from various disorders, and the observed study proves it.

The source: https://pro-essay-writer.com/blog/essay-conclusion-examples

I wanted to use the first phrase in my own essay. I wonder if it is correct or not. Personally, I find it a bit weird. But maybe it is not so?


texts: Do I need an extra "had" in the following sentence?

texts:
Since we had postponed my dog's burial, Mom had (had) to find a way to
  preserve him.

This sentence is in the past tense and the narrator is talking about what happened days ago. Since it's in the past tense, do I need an extra "had"? Why or why not? (By the way, do I need the first "had"?)

EDIT:

Some context: the narrator (who's telling the story in past tense) and the mother agreed to postpone the dog's burial on June 19. And at the time the narrator is saying the sentence it is June 21 (still in the past).


texts:
I wrote this sentence

  The user first constructs a wrapper by creating several anchors by means of an example page. The resulting wrapper is saved into a file to  be used later for extracting data from other pages of the same website or similar websites.

I am not sure resulting is a proper word for such outcomes! Maybe "created", "generated" or a better general word?


texts: Is there a verb for listening stealthily?

texts:
I am wondering if there's a verb that means "listening stealthily" or "listening to someone or a group of people without having him/them know".

I am highly confident that there's a verb, but I can't seem to remember what it was.

Just so that we're in the same page, here's an example:

  John put his ears over the door to ___ at the private conversation between the king and the queen.


texts: Which is more grammatical : 'the feeling is not x, it is y' or 'the feeling not x is actually y'?

texts:
As shown above, he misses someone mysterious, whoever that is, which
  confirms to us that the feeling is not happiness nor depression, it is emptiness.

It is a sentence from an essay my friend wrote, and I don't think putting "it is emptiness" without any coordinating conjunction would be seriously wrong, but he was saying things like independent clause and dependent clause so I could not quite get him. The one I suggested him was this:

  As shown above, he misses someone mysterious, whoever that is, which
  confirms to us that the feeling not happiness nor depression is actually emptiness.

But he said it is not very grammatical. Which one of these sentences is correct then?


texts:
When telling someone which floor they have to come to do we say:

Come up to the third floor.

To ask someone which floor I'm supposed to de we say:

Which floor is it on?/ Which floor do I come?

I was in a hotel and my room was on the fourth floor. I wanted a top floor. Not the very top but I just wanted to ask if other floors are available. I said:

Can we get a top floor room. (I'm sure it's incorrect)

Please let me know if I've said them correctly.


texts: Why it will be wrong if I use 'that' instead of 'it'?

texts:
Example: After she completes the form, ___ will be processed by Jason.
Answers:

that
it

If I don't use comma after the word 'form', I can use 'that'. But if I use comma, can I use 'that' instead of 'it'?
One reference said that it will be wrong if I use 'that' instead of 'it' when comma is used. I don't understand why it will be wrong?


texts: I would like to know why 'Who is there?' is correct and why we can't use 'Who are there?' even if we know there is more than one person.


texts:
In the following sentence, I am supposed to pick correct choice:

Several guests complained about (being/having been/to have been)
served cold food last night.

I think it should be having been but the answer is given being. Can someone explain ?
What about this?:

He complained (of/about)(being/having been) treated unfairly.

Please explain your choices.


texts: Preposition "into" with manufacture: "To produce high-quality plants to manufacture _into_ the range of teas that.."

texts:
I am trying to fully understand the meaning of the preposition "into" in the below context so I can write a sentence like this.

  But these countries have to have the right climate and geographical features If they are going to produce sufficient high-quality plants to manufacture into the wide range of teas that are exported around the world.

I would have written like this:

manufacture the wide range of teas

But I am not sure that whether it is grammatically correct or not. Is this preposition "into" often used with the sentence like "wide range of"?


texts:
Among various kind of sports / kinds of sports / kinds of sport, I like soccer the best.

Which one is correct? Is there any rule implying that one of them has to be singular between 'kind' and 'sports' if the other one is plural and vice versa?


texts:
Those are correct:

How soon will he arrive?

When will he arrive?

Yesterday I said: In how long will he arrive?
-- Is this wrong?

Also, I remember my Indian roommate used to say something like: At what time will he arrive?
-- Not nice English, right?

Thank you.


texts: why "that" isn't used here instead of "if"?

texts:
Considering following sentences.

Not sure if I look so retarded or people don't understand me.
Not sure if I walk so fast or others walk too slow.
Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or you are trying to fool me.

Questions:
Is it formal? if no how does formal one look like?
Is it possible to use "that" instead of "if"? the difference?
When should I use this form? and is there any other way to say it?

Thanks in advance :)


texts: I have "been writing" or "written" six letters since morning. Which is correct?

texts:
I have been writing six letters since morning.
I have written six letters since morning.


texts: What does "For every person shot in a mass killing" mean here?

texts:
I don't find any connection between this phrase and the idea in the previous sentence. Does it mean "Between 1979 and today, there was 1 mass killing in which ALL of the people were shot"?

"Australia’s 104 victims of mass shootings represent a small fraction of all people intentionally shot dead in Australia between 1979 and today. For every person shot in a mass killing, 139 others commit suicide or are murdered with guns in incidents in which fewer than five people die (most commonly one or two are killed)."

Source: http://fortune.com/2017/10/04/las-vegas-shooting-Australia-gun-control-laws/


texts: Why did the author use present tense in the sentence?

texts:
The book, which is the source of this passage, was written in 2014. Why did the author use enters in the sentence?

By the beginning of the 20th century psychology as science had
barricaded itself against any liaison with culture. The focus on
experimental psychology of lower psychological functions was expected
to make psychology a real science. Linkages with history in general
and cultural history in particular would have been obstacles on the
royal road to scientific purity. The result was another century of no
serious work on complex cultural phenomena by psychologists. Music — a
favourite topic for early psychologists in the 19th and early 20th
century — has not been a prominent research field as the discipline
enters the 21st century. The story is similar in the case of religion, which in its various forms frames social and personal lives
all over the world. It had mostly been abandoned by psychologists as a
research field by the 1920s. Nearly a hundred years later, our lives
are filled with ever re-emerging spiritual sentiments that are easily
captured by new religious organizations.

An Invitation to Cultural Psychology


texts:
Macmillan dictionary says:

  The car smashed into a lorry coming in the opposite direction.

If I use:

  .... coming from the opposite direction.

Is there any difference?


texts:
A man walks up to a woman at the bar in a bar and they fall into conversation. He squeezes into the conversation that he's a lawyer. The conversation goes on. At some point in the conversation he tells her that he actually saw her in the bar yesterday too and overheard her talking with a friend about the divorce she's going through at the moment and that her ex husband is trying to rip her off. He continues...

  1) That's why I just thought I'd let you know that I work as a lawyer.

  2) That's why I just wanted to let you know that I work as a lawyer.

Are both of these sentences correct and natural in this context if he's referring to earlier in the conversation where he mentioned that he was a lawyer? I hope you know what I mean.


texts:
I would like to know if "the doors closed on him" is correct here:
He got in the elevator and pressed a button. Before the doors closed on him, she said "I love you".
?


texts:
Is the usage of the phrase "be all over someone" natural in the below sentence:

After his suicide attempt his friends have been all over him to make sure he doesn't try to hurt himself again.

Does this mean that his friends have been with him a lot and very aware of his every move to make sure he doesn't try to hurt himself again?


texts: What does the phrase "while holding down one paddle" mean here?

texts:
Here is a sentence from a rowing game app:

  It is not possible to turn in air, so take jumps in a straight line
  while holding down one paddle if you have to turn abruptly while landing.

I am confused about the meaning of the phrase while holding down one paddle. Does the phrase mean to leave the paddle in place or does it mean to point it downward?


texts:
You failed 9 subjects before you graduated from college.

I read up that its necessary for this to become "you had failed" since there are 2 past tense verbs, and because the "had" gives context that failing the 9 subjects happened before graduating.
But!! I can already completely understand the sentence without the necessary "had". I don't see any other interpretation other than "failed 9 subjects" happens before "you graduated", as that is a logical flow of events, and because there is already a "before".


texts: Any with singular countable nouns in questions

texts:
As far as I know, a countable noun should be plural after any in questions. For example:

  Are there any books on the desk?

So is it incorrect to say:

  Is there any means of contacting him?

(Oxford dictionary)


texts:
I'd like ask you about uncountable nouns and their pronouns.
①When we refer to two uncountable nouns as pronouns, can we use "them"?
②If so, why is "it" used in this second sentence? What does "it" refer to?

It's true that we'll always need news and information. But the way it is delivered will surely keep changing.


texts: What do you call someone who has a lot of power and keeps a big secret?

texts:
I need help for a name of an essay for a school project.

What do you call someone who has a lot of power in maintaining order in a country and keeps a big secret that affects everyone but doesn't want to say it in fear he will lose his position. I need a noun.


texts: Can I omit "that" in the following case?

texts:
She had eyes so far apart from each other that looking at them made me feel dizzy.

Can I omit the that in this case? Why and why not?


texts: " I know him to speak to." What does this mean?

texts:
I know him / to speak "to".

What is "to"'s object? speak to whom?

Who is the subject of "to speak"


texts: How to add a period of time to structure of ' in a such short time'

texts:
I want to add a specific period of time to 'in a such short time'.
How to add a specific period into following the sentence?

For example :

  The company rose its profit from $100 million to 500 million between
  in the years 2010 to 2015. The company have come a long way
  tremendously in a such short time  + 5 years.

or

  The change in nature is incredible for a such short time + a specific period.


texts: Example sentence, Passive construction and tenses

texts:
I am learning passive construction and I have a problem.

Problem:
A: Did anybody call an ambulance to the scene of the accident?
B: Yes. (but nobody / injure / so it / not / need)

My task is to make a sentence using the words in the brackets.

My try:
Yes. But nobody was injured so it is not needed.

Is that correct? I'm not sure about the Past Simple ... But nobody has been injured so it is not needed.


texts: Where does the apostrophe go in "participant(s) ratings"?

texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct? I'm unsure regarding the participant(s).

  Figures showing the distribution of the participants' ratings on the math tasks.

  Figures showing the distribution of the participant ratings on the math tasks.

  Figures showing the distribution of the participant's ratings on the math tasks.


texts: Subject-verb agreement 'It makes me feel'

texts:
I'm a bit confused with the subject-verb agreement of this phrase:

  It makes me feel like something.

Why is the word "feel" not "feels" since "me" is singular?


texts: Which one of these 2 sentences is correct?

texts:
Can someone tell me which of these two sentences is correct?

  I was going to ask you how are you?
  I was going to ask you how were you?


texts: "Important to translate" or "important to be translated"

texts:
In English, we can say

  it's important to translate some words

or

  some words are important to translate.

Why don't we say

  some words are important to be translated?


texts: One verb for : manuscript "edited, annotated, verified" by so-and-so

texts:
How can I say a particular manuscript has been edited, annotated, verified by a person? The verb I'm looking for will appear on the cover of a book. The verb should mean to do textual criticism of, as in:

  This manuscript's textual criticism has been done by so-and-so

  This manuscript is [verb] by so-and-so.

I suspect edit doesn't quite capture all the things a textual critic would do. I'm also inclined to use critically edited by, but not sure this is the right way to go about it.

Edit:

Suppose there are many handwritten editions of an ancient manuscript that's 500 years old. These editions are not identical and therefore only one of them is or closer to the original manuscript as intended by its author. Suppose I've traveled from country to country to collect them, and then for two years I've studied and compared each one to find out which one is the original. Once I've found out which one is the original (or the most likely to be the original, or error-free), now I add footnotes, annotations and explanatory information to make things clear for modern-day readers whenever necessary. Now I'm going to publish this manuscript, what should I call myself on the book cover?


texts:
I am writing a scientific paper and I wonder if 's is only used refering to a possession.

For example, I think "bird's feathers" is a correct expression, but I wonder if "bird's exposure", meaning exposure of birds to something (here I write about pollutants), it's correct or it's written "bird exposure".

In general, I guess my question is about the use of 's as "[something]'s [something]" instead of "[something] of [something]". Another example would be "feather's formation" or "feather formation" instead of "formation of feather".

I hope I have explained myself properly.
Thanks!


texts:
In the following sentence, what would be the noun phrases?

  A gift for each one of the students Jerry, Max and Tom.

I think it's:

[A gift] for each one of [the students Jerry, max and Tom]

Is this correct?


texts: What would be a good substitute word for the term "feed him"? Suppose you have a new employee in your office who happens to be from your own village (or the place you grew up in). Your another colleague, who is also from the same place, wants to give this new guy a treat. So, I was asking my colleague, "Why do you want to feed him?". But I don't feel good about this. It should be, "why do you want to take him out for a lunch?" or something like that. What should be a good sentence for this kind of conversation.


texts:
(1) He made toward the library.
  (2) He made towards the library.

Which one is correct?   If both are correct, which one sounds better or more natural?  Could you help me clarify it?


texts:
I don't think the following sentence is grammatically correct:

  Laziness is a problem with many students.

Wouldn't it better to say:

  Laziness is a problem for many students.

or perhaps,

  Laziness is a problem among students.

It just sounds 'off' to use 'with' for me.


texts:
If I didn't know the noun compound "hair loss" and I wanted to describe to a pharmacist that I have hair that has been falling out and needed a shampoo with the right formula for it.

Why can't I say " I need a shampoo for my falling hair"?

I am given to understand that you can say "the falling leaves" and "the falling snow" Why can't you use this adjective for hair and describe a condition in which you hair has been falling out?


texts: I have been asked about the color of my guitar. It's the color of wood, I think is called "natural". Which would be the best way to mention the color of my guitar?


texts: "I'd ask if(=whether) ~ " Do my examples make sense? Plz correct me

texts:
After listening to the audio file of two job interviews, my English teacher asked us, "If you were the interviewer, what additional questions would you say?" and then he wrote down some examples on the white board.

I'd ask him if he *saw himself as energetic and sociable.
I'd ask both of them if they *were OK with working the night shift.
I'd ask if they *were comfortable with not being covered by insurance.

My question is why "saw", "were", "were" are here? Why my teacher use past tense verbs like in the above? I think they(verbs) are supposed to be present tense.  Maybe my teacher made mistakes? Or are there any difference meanings by using past tense in those sentenses?

If I'm mistaken, please correct me.
Thanks in advance.


texts: Usage of "like many a" vs "like that of"

texts:
Sentence in question:

Sendak’s career began, like many an artist, during his childhood.

I think the sentence should be corrected with

"Sendak’s career began, like that of many artists, during his childhood."

Is my correction wrong?
I don't understand the usage of "like many a"
How is the original sentence correct and where can I learn about the usage of "like many a"?
Can you explain the phrase "like many a"?


texts: "Someone talking" or "someone is talking"?

texts: There is a phrase in textbook: "You will hear someone talking about body language." Isn't it supposed to be "You will hear someone is talking about body language."? Google search seems to imply, that both "someone talking" and "someone is talking" are both valid options. And I always thought, that "someone talking" is incorrect one. Could someone explain to me, why this isn't the case?


texts: "the little money he had" versus "what little money he had"

texts:
Is there a nuanced difference between the following noun phrases? Does what do something other than the does?

... the little money he had

... what little money he had


texts:
This is a TOEFL question.

  Astronomers use photography and sighting telescopes to study the
  motion of all of the bright stars and many of the faint one.

I think the word "one" is grammatical, but the solution says that it's not grammatical :) I don't know why.


texts:
On the appointed night, an hour or so before his reading, a crowd
  starts to gather at a community center on O.C. Haley Boulevard, once a
  Central City no-go zone between the Magnolia projects, birthplace of
  the Cash Money record label, and the Calliope projects, where No Limit
  rapper and founder Master P grew up. The city tore down both, and now
  the neighborhood is a few months, maybe a year, from being acceptable
  to suburban white people. There is still violence. This summer, a hit
  man walked up to the St. John the Baptist Church and shot someone once
  in the chest; meanwhile, half a mile away, chef Adolfo Garcia, a
  culinary star in a city that treats a chef's coat like a low-slung
  guitar, just opened his latest place.

(Beyond the Breach 08/24/15 • ESPN the Magazine)

It seems that "a low-slung guitar" to be  something looked upon. Am I right? If so, why?


texts: What does "on the lease" mean or imply in this context?

texts:
In the dictionary, lease means:

A lease is a legal agreement by which the owner of a building, a piece of land, or something such as a car allows someone else to use it for a period of time in return for money.

Therefore,  I could not get the logic/implication/meaning of the following sentence, when Stark offered to put her name on the next clean self-sustained tower, but Pepper, his girlfriend, said :

“On the lease".

Does this mean, she's asking for (joking) the ownership of the next tower? Or she asks Stark to rent her the next tower? (But why? Stark does not need to earn the rent money from her.)

What's I am  missing here??

Here is the sentence in the context, and the conversation just happened after Stark had lit up Stark Tower for the first time with Arc Reactor powering it:

  In the penthouse apartment on top of the new Stark Tower, Pepper hit a
  switch. The tower began to light up, first from street level, and then
  hundreds of feet to the pinnacle, illuminating the New York
  skyline—and the sky itself.

  “How does it look?” Pepper asked. He could see her grinning with
  excitement in the heads-up display inside the helmet of his Iron Man
  suit.

  “Like Christmas, but with more me,” Tony said.

  “We’ve got to go wider on the public awareness campaign,” she said,
  thinking like the CEO she was. The best decision Tony had ever made
  was handing the reins of Stark Industries over to her. “You need to do
  some press. I’m in DC tomorrow working on the zoning for the next
  three buildings. . . .”

  “Pepper, you’re killing me,” Tony said as he arced past the Empire
  State Building. “The moment, remember? Enjoy the moment.”

  “Get in here and I will,” she said.

  ……………………

  Pepper stood watching a holographic display of Stark Tower and the Arc
  Reactor powering it. “Levels are holding steady, I think,” she said.

  “Of course they are. I was directly involved, which brings me to my
  next question. How does it feel to be a genius?”

  “Well, I really wouldn’t know, now would I?” Pepper teased him.

  “What do you mean? All this came from you.”

  “No, all this came from that.” Pepper tapped the miniaturized Arc
  Reactor in Tony’s chest.

  “Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give
  yourself . . . twelve percent of the credit.”

  “Twelve percent.”

  Tony had meant it as a joke, but he could see she hadn’t taken it that
  way. “An argument could be made for fifteen,” he said, trying to get a
  laugh out of her.

  It wasn’t working. “Twelve percent,” she said. “My baby.”

  Now he decided to tease her a little more. “Well, I did do all the
  heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. I’m going to pay
  for that comment about percentages, in some subtle way later, aren’t
  I?”

  “It’s not going to be that subtle.”

  “I’ll tell you what. The next building is going to say Potts on the
  tower.”

  “On the lease,” she corrected him.

  The Avengers I


texts:
My friend requested me to meet him on Skype.
And I searched him on Skype with his ID. The ID is matched but the account name isn't in English.
So, I just want to make sure that he is Peter or not.
I would like to ask him like

"Is this Peter?" or "Are you Peter?"

Which one is commonly use?
And what is the differences between these two phrases?


texts:
The neoteric human being is now being cut off from the order of nature and establishes itself as the rationally reflecting and acting subject which is now posited against "the object" of its cognitive and practical activity.

What does "the object" in the sentence above mean?  Does it mean the goal of the activity?  Could you help me clarify it?  Thanks.


texts: meaning of the phrase "peel one's banana" in context

texts:
It is from Crash Course Biology. It is at around 7 second. Here is the context:

  How long have you been waiting in this line. I have been here for like 15 minutes and it is freaking freezing out here. I mean, whose banana do you got to peel in order to get into this club.


texts: Present Continuous or Present Simple in clauses of time and condition? Or both?

texts:
When I'm not working, I walk to the park.
  When I don't work, I walk to
  the park.

Are the present continuous and present simple forms interchangeable in this sentence? If not, are there any nuances of meaning?


texts: Is there an idiom for "not without disadvantages"?

texts:
This is a great product, it does, however, come with some disadvantages.

I suppose saying "... but it isn't flawless" etc are equally fine but is there an idiom that could be used here?


texts:
Are there any synonyms of that word? Or a definition?

  The ‘Snapewives’ or ‘Snapists’ are women who channel Snape, are
  engaged in romantic relationships with him, and see him as a vital
  guide for their daily lives. In this context, Snape is viewed as more
  than a mere fictional creation. He is seen as a being that extends
  beyond the Harry Potter texts with Rowling perceived as a flawed
  interpreter of his supra-textual essence.'