texts: Can "boast" take a gerund directly as its object?

texts:
Searching the internet to know whether it's grammatically correct to use "boast" with a gerund as its direct object, I just came across this sentence in a book

  For one thing, not many towns can boast having a volcano in their
  backyard. SOURCE

I've googled the writer's name and found out that she is an English native speaker and It doesn't seem like she made a mistake, because I found some sentences in which "boast" is used in the same way as well by other English writers.

So, my question is...

Is it really grammatically correct to use "boast" in that way?
Should there be added a preposition such as "of or about"?

I'd think "boast" or "boast of or about" are all correct to use there but the meanings are totally different like

For one thing, not many towns can boast having a volcano in their backyard

"having a volcano in their backyard" can represents, as a whole, the symbol of not many towns' pride.

For one thing, not many towns can boast of or about having a volcano in their backyard

"having a volcano in their backyard" can be talked of or about proudly by not many towns.


texts: Which preposition should I use after "well versed"?

texts:
If I say " I am well versed in mathematics" and if I say " I am well versed with mathematics" so, which of the above is correct and why?
Can I say I am well versed in the knowledge or with the knowledge? How to use this well versed in a sentence?? Help needed...


texts:
Let's say an elementary school student is at their school, and says:

  a. I'm at school.

Here, I don't think you need any article:

  b. ?I'm at the school.

  c. ?I'm at a school.

Now, can sentence a. be rephrased as follows?

  d. School is where I'm at.

Or do you need now the definite article?

  e. The school is where I'm at.


texts: Thank you for (spending / putting / taking) your time

texts:
I wonder if you could let me know which one of the listed sentences below is more appropriate for thanking someone when the spend some time to help you?

Is there any uncommon or unidiomatic sentence between them that doesn't sound natural to you? If yes, please that explain me.

  Thank you for spending your time helping / to help me me.
  Thank you for putting your time helping / to help me me.
  Thank you for taking your time helping / to help me me.

To me, all the sentences above mean the same, but I need to know what do you think about their connotations?

Thank you.


texts:
1) Your passing the exam will make your parents happy.

  2) The fact that you will pass the exam will make your parents happy.

  3) It will make your parents happy that you will pass the exam.

  4)That you will pass the exam will make your parents happy.

Are any difference between sentences above? Or are they grammatically correct?


texts: What does "keep in touch" imply in "It's been a pleasure talking to you and keep in touch"?

texts:
"It's been a pleasure talking to you and keep in touch"

Is it just a saying, or does he really mean that he's expecting to receive some information from me in the future?


texts:
When talking about conditions of collectibles or other stuff, I have read some days ago "well-worn" and I'm not sure how to interpret it. I actually see 2 different ways to interpret it, which would mean even quite the opposite of each other.

One way I see would be:

It was worn well, so when it was used, and was handled carefully(well) with.
So this would mean the condition of the item is still fine.

Or the other way:

Well as an expression for frequency, so it means it has bean worn a lot, what would lead to an condition with a lot of signs of wear and tear.

So what's the way it should be interpreted?
And what are the indications that (if so) exclude the other way?


texts: My dog has a lot of things. This food bowl is "its"

texts:
What is the possessive pronoun of animals or thing?

We can say:

  This car is mine.
  This coffee is yours.
  This book is hers.

How ca we say this food bowl belongs to my dog, or those buildings belong to the company.

Can I say:

  My dog has a lot of things. This food bowl is its.
  This company is very big. These buildings are its.


texts:
Jack is walking down the hallway when suddenly he hears footsteps just around the corner. He runs for the nearest door and is/has gone a second later when Pete and Toby come around the corner.
(The important thing is that he has left the hallway so that Pete and Toby doesn't see him. He runs into a room; he doesn't leave the building.)
Questions: Are both "is" and "has" possible here? And if yes, is there a difference between them? Is the sentence written in an odd way, would you rephrase it?


texts:
I can't clearly understand a sentence. Could you help me?

  It had taken two days of bushwhacking to reach the site. Six days
  later, Jensen would be the last man to leave. It was Jensen whom the
  Rio Tinto mining group, which had chartered the helicopter to carry
  employees from a Peruvian copper mine to the city of Chiclayo, had
  reached out to first. It was Jensen who had worked out a strategy for
  reaching the crash site after it became clear that the ten people
  aboard had been killed, the debris blasted across the wanton ridges of
  a tropical Yosemite.

What does "blasted across" mean here?

Thank you in advance.

Source http://www.gq.com/story/man-who-cleans-up-plane-crashes


texts: How to say correctly "My age was smaller?"

texts:
I was preparing for IELTS speaking and tried to say that I was younger than my classmates using the phrase "My age was smaller". But it seems unnatural, isn't it? How say it correctly, "My age was [the missing word]"?
Thanks a million!


texts:
Vodafone error sees customers hit by thousands in charges

What is the meaning of in charges here?

I understand in charge mean to "be in control" or like this. But in this sentence how to understand?


texts:
They told me not to investigate his financial activities as well as his brother's.

Could that mean that they told me to investigate neither his nor his brother's financial activities?


texts:
I don't know is it okay to start a sentence like these.

Observed the experiments, I learned that "Failure is a mother of Success".
Run to me, I get you some place to hide.

I know that we can start the sentence with To-verb and verb+ ing. But I am not sure can we start a sentence like those.


texts: Singular form of verb for noncount words

texts:
I learnt a rule from my grammar notebook:

  Always use the singular form of a verb for noncount (uncountable) words:

  Where is my money?

  There is some rice on the table.

But I recalled a sentence that does not follow this rule:

  The police are on their way.

And also another one:

  These fish are poisonous.

So why does the rule break here?


texts: Past perfect usage in hypothetical statement

texts:
On Quora, I've run into such a sentence where the author describes a hypothetical situation if astronauts wore unsuitable space suits on the Moon:

  At about this time, they’d realize that the sides of their body in shadow up till now had grown very cold and those in the sunlight were uncomfortably hot.

I don't understand sequence of tenses here. Does a sentence describing a hypothetical future situation requires past perfect in constructions like this?

Which is correct?

  If this occurred, somebody would realize something had happened.

  If this occurred, somebody would realize something has happened.

Is past perfect used because the whole clause is shifted to the past in conditional? And what if we are talking about hypothetical past? Do we just add have after would? For example:

  If this had occurred, somebody would have realized something had
  happened.


texts:
According to some dictionaries, usage examples of the verb "launch" include "launch an attack", "launch a campaign", and "launch an investigation", where the thing being "launched" is some sort of activity.  But then there is this sentence from NYTimes:

  New York City has launched a new plan to rescue moderate-rent apartment buildings that were swept up by private equity firms during the financial boom, then left to deteriorate as they drifted toward foreclosure when the new owners were unable to repay their loans.

A "plan" is not really an activity.  So, could the usage in that NYTimes article be an error missed by the editor?


texts:
I am confused about the function of the word "but" in given sentence what "part of speech" the word "but" is in the given sentence. I actually shared my opinions with my teacher about the word "but".

My opinions: The word " but" is an adverb in the given sentence because it modifies  adjective "easy". Moreover, I looked it up in dictionary and it got something else "anything but" is also an idiom. Secondly, I checked it in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary — the same sentence is written in there and it called it as a preposition.

My teacher called it as a preposition and he also said, it can be idiomatic adverb. Then also gave me a sentence: The hotel is anything but satisfactory —from OLAD.  I am not sure what actually he shared but I am eagerly waiting for your clarification.

Kindly, analyze the sentence structurally and remove this confusion with your remarks. Thanks in advance!


texts: What's the part of speech of 'She Them'?

texts:
She had used her fitness and fighting skills to survive many times. She didn’t always kill with a gun from long range. Sometimes her targets were right in front of her, trying to murder her as fiercely as she them.

I am curious into finding out what part of grammar is she them. I am fairly sure that it is correct grammar but then again I'm still a rookie at this.


texts: Is "'cause" perfectly natural as a connector word here?

texts:
So if you ever wanna talk, or if there's anything else I can do, then don't hesitate to give me a call, okay? Anything. 'Cause I'd hate to see a good guy like you not being happy.
Is 'Cause completely natural as a connector word here?


texts:
Is there any idiom or phrase to indicate someone's argument is obviously wrong,in a respectful way. I think the usage of collosal blunder in the below sentence sounds harsh.
Sentence:

His argument falls into a collosal blunder


texts: Is there any other meaning of "go nuts" except angry?

texts:
I was watching comedy series, Man Seeking Woman.

A group of people was discussing what to text a girl. I mean, they were discussing how to make good texts for the girl.

  Researcher: If you look at the data, you will see that women are going nuts for punctuation.
  A woman: That is true.
  Researcher: Exclamation points, in particular. I would... I would suggest 50.
  General : Fifty? So now we're screaming at her?

Here is a video clip for the scene at 1:13.

I knew go nuts means become angry. So if using the punctuation makes her angry, we shouldn't use. However, the researcher suggested to use 50 exclamation points like this: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is this situation?


texts: Can we use "with no" rather than "without"?

texts:
I am wondering what is the difference between with no and without if I write the following sentence with "with no".

  I couldn't handle this situation without your help

Can I write this sentence as:

  I couldn't handle this situation with no (your) help


texts: I did not make an implication, I made a statement, and I made the statement based on the testimony of the president of the corporation.


texts:
I'm trying to say that all humans on planet earth are social creatures, without using plural form.

A human is a social creature.
The human is a social creature.
Human is a social creature.

What is the best way?
Last one is probably wrong. I wondered whether it is possible to refer to the word "human" as one would refer to an uncountable noun.
As, for example, with the word "time" which can be countable/uncountable. As in sentence:

Thank you for your time.

A new question has risen whether there should be an article preceding "other human being" in the sentence following the first one.

The human is a social creature. Sometimes, interaction with other human being can become overly emotional and in such state we have tendency to act impulsively while not realizing that some of our decisions made can become permanent—beyond possibility of repair.

The question now is whether there should be an article before other human being.


texts:
The scenario is that the protagonist, Alice, had Alzheimer's and was running through by her doctor some  cognitive tests, and one of which was Boston naming Exam.
She failed to name a hammock.
As her doctor noted that down, she wanted to argue.

Here's the long sentence I have trouble understanding.

  Alice wanted to argue that her omission could just as easily have been a normal case of blocking as a symptom of Alzheimer's.

-cited from Still Alice

I know the author is saying that "failed to name a word could have been as easily mistaken as an Alzheimer's symptom"(or is she not?)

I can understand the sentence without words in bold, but altogether, I can't.

I found a similar sentence which makes more sense to me.

  This could have just as easily happened to a catholic school as a public school.

cited from here

Please explain the first sentence construction for me.
Thank you!


texts: Possible meanings of "on the grounds that"

texts:
In some texts related to an administrative authority, the following extract is present:

  You can apply for an administrative review of that decision, if you think we have:

  reached an incorrect decision on the grounds that your circumstances have changed
  reached an incorrect decision on the grounds that you failed to tell us about something relevant to your application
  ...

There are several such sentences using on the grounds that.

I'm trying to grasp the exact meaning of those phrases, among the following interpretations:

We stated that you failed to tell it about something relevant to your application; you believe that led to an incorrect decision.
You failed to tell us about something relevant to your application; you believe that led to an incorrect decision.

Is there one of the above that is clearly the intended meaning here, or is the phrase ambiguous enough that both could be inferred?

[Disclaimer: I am not engaged with the authority in question, nor do I request legal advice; this is just about the intended meaning of such constructions.]


texts: What's the difference among people, folks, guys in the context?

texts:
For example, the sentence is "If you want to introduce someone into our company, you need to talk to HR "people" or "folks" or "guys""?
Which ones are correct? If more than one, which one is most common and natural?


texts: "There comes a time when" vs. "It comes a time when"

texts:
What are the differences between the two sentences below?

  There comes a time when you have to fight for what you want.
  It comes a time when you have to fight for what you want.

I usually use 'There comes a time when', but I often see 'It comes a time when' on the internet.


texts: past perfect for an event which is still true

texts:
. The Cambrian _____ an important moment in the history of life on earth and a time of radical evolutionary experimentation when many animals first_____ in the fossil record.

the answer is had been, appeared. Why had been because it is still true why not present is

https://www.englishtestsonline.com/mixed-tenses-advanced-level-test-quiz-online-exercise-with-answers-2/


texts: Look at your watch and tell me what time is it. vs Look at your watch and tell me what time it is

texts:
Look at your watch and tell me what time is it.
Look at your watch and tell me what time it is.

Is the second variant correct?


texts:
I linked a youtube video at precise time https://youtu.be/3P49hWpNIzA?t=62 in this post, which means clicking the link in that post could open a youtube page and play the video from a precise time (1:02 in this case).

Is there a phrase to describe this kind of link, such as "a link with time point"?


texts: What does the 'acting outrageously for the sake being outrageous' mean?

texts:
I'm reading the book about the Simpsons, and don't understand what does the author want to say in this sentence.

'That episode, which had Rodney Dangerfield as the long lost son of Mr. Burns, also showcased the increasingly stupid and invincible nature of Homer. More than any previous year, Season 8 saw

  Homer acting outrageously for the sake of being outrageous.

The third act of “Burns, Baby Burns” is Homer’s cartoonish efforts to stage a “phony kidnapping”, the purpose of which is to get Mr. Burns to admit he loves his son. It was the kind of frenetic scheme that sitcom characters have been doing since the days of I Love Lucy, but it wasn’t something Homer had done before.'

I suppose the author wants to say that Homer acting like not himself or maybe acting too far-fetched, but I'm not sure. What do you think?


texts: Why is there no article before "use" in "indefinitely suspended use of the vaccine"?

texts:
This is a sentence from Wikipedia, from article on Astra-Zeneca vaccine:

On 14 April, the Danish Health Authority indefinitely suspended use of
the vaccine.

Why not "the use" is used here?


texts:
Please see the following sentence:

  It is not much difficult to bend a free kick round a wall of
  defenders.

I am not sure which of the following meanings of the word "round" fits here:

  adv.
  1. In a circular progression or movement; around.
  2. With revolutions: wheels moving round.
  3. To a specific place or person: called round for the pastor; sent round for the veterinarian.

  prep.
  1. Around.
  2. From the beginning to the end of; throughout: a plant that grows round the year.


texts:
The Macmillandictionary says it is, but I'm still unsure about its veracity.

The sentence in which I'd like to use it, is as follows :

"Sometimes peer-pressure & the feeling of need to conform can hinder a person from remaining integrious."


texts: What do you thing about "In France, there is a Chinese proverb that says ..."?

texts:
What do you think about:

  In France, there is a Chinese proverb that says "..."?

Is it just a joke or something serious?


texts:
Let's suppose we are talking about managing a project, tracking progress of tasks:

  This chart is good, it shows which tasks are in progress and which ones are not started yet, but I also need to know the time a task is in progress by now.

Is the selected phrase grammatical, does it sound OK?


texts:
Now I am watching the movie, while showing the moview,  I have encounted not understand discription.

What does 'make the most of the hours you have left, saxons' mean?


texts: In this passage, what does "a pair of" refer to?

texts:
“Er — Petunia, dear — you haven’t heard from your sister lately, have
  you?” As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry.
  After all, they normally pretended she didn’t have a sister.
  “No,” she said sharply. “Why?” “Funny stuff on the news,” Mr.
  Dursley mumbled. “Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of
  funny-looking people in town today…” “So?” snapped Mrs.
  Dursley. “Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do
  with… you know… her crowd.” Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through
  pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he’d heard
  the name “Potter.” He decided he didn’t dare. Instead he said, as
  casually as he could, “Their son — he’d be about Dudley’s age now,
  wouldn’t he?” “I suppose so,” said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.
  “What’s his name again? Howard, isn’t it?” “Harry. Nasty, common
  name, if you ask me.” “Oh, yes,” said Mr. Dursley, his heart
  sinking horribly. “Yes, I quite agree.” He didn’t say another
  word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley
  was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and
  peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was
  staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for
  something. Was he imagining things? Could all this have
  anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out
  that they were related to a pair of — well, he didn’t think he
  could bear it. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

What do the last two highlighted terms refer to?


texts: What does "conversation" mean in this context?

texts:
Does it mean "attitude"?

"At the very least, the Fed's desire to step up the pace of policy normalization has changed the conversation at many central banks globally," said Sean Callow, an economist with Westpac in Sydney.

source:http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCAKBN16N0OC-OCABS


texts: "between ... and" for relations between one specific thing and several other things

texts:
Suppose I want to enumerate several relations between apple and other kinds of fruit, say pear, orange, and peach.  Of course, I can say something like:

  (1) relation between apple and pear, relation between apple and orange, relation between apple and peach.

But this sounds too verbose.  If I instead say something like

  (2) relations between apple and pear, orange and peach,

it becomes less clear what relations I am talking about, in particular, the principal relatum apple common to all three relations does not stand out.  Is it better to say something like

  (3) relations between apple and pear, and orange, and peach?

Edit:

How about

  (4) relations between apple, pear, orange and peach?


texts:
This car costs more than how much the last car you bought cost.

This car costs more than it cost you to buy your last car.

Are both the sentences grammatically correct?
Do they convey the same meaning?


texts:
The original sentence:

  As for the unfortunate people who can command everything they want,
  who can gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every
  object of desire -- for them a new pleasure, a new excitement is only
  an additional satiation.

I would think "a new excitement" is an appositive of "a new pleasure", treat the part "As for...of desire" before the dash as an adverbial phrase for the entire sentence, and understand "for them" as another adverbial phrase for the sentence, as below:

  As for them -- a new pleasure, a new excitement is only an additional
  satiation for them.

Does it make sense?


texts: is a dove a "she"? how to use "he" and "she" for animals?

texts:
In the song "Blowing in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, there's a verse that reads:

Yes, and how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?

My question is, why he used "she" for a dove? What about other animals and other non-humans? Is there a general rule?


texts:
What is a quiet ping? Is it the noise the page makes when you turn it?

  There was a quiet ping as Veronica turned her reader on and advanced
  to the next chapter.

Thanks


texts: "I have class" or "I am having class" in context

texts:
Let's say I am a student and at this very moment I am being taught math and someone is calling me and asks what are you doing. Is correct to say the following?

  I am having math class.

And by the way is there any difference in meaning between have math class and have a math class. If there isn't, then which one is more common?


texts: From my understanding, "Bob stayed indoors" is a correct expression, while "Bob stayed indoor" is incorrect. Why is the latter incorrect? The term indoor is an adjective, and the verb stay is often followed by an adjective (e.g., "Let's stay focused.")


texts: When you're having a cat nap and a bad car accident happens

texts:
Imagine yourself in a road where the driver is your friend and your are sitting in assistant seat. You feel a bit tired and are catching some Z's. Suddenly a car accident happens and you notice it, but because of a shocking blow you become unconscious. When you come to, someone is going to find out what happened because your friend is unconscious yet. Which one of the following self-made sentences sounds more idiomatic and natural in this sense? If no one is natural, please let me know what would a native speaker would say in this situation:

  I was catching some Z’s that the accident happened abruptly.
  I was having a cat nap that the accident happened abruptly.


texts:
A: You can eat the food as much as you can eat.
  B: You can eat as much food as you can.

In which sentence above is the position of food correct?


texts: finding the subject of a verb followed by a comma in the end of a sentence

texts:
I saw him, looking very tired.

I saw him looking very tired.

What about these versions? what are the subjects of these sentences?


texts:
I've already read this sentence and I don't know the exactly sense.

  Married people don't always hit it off.

I think maybe it means married people aren't always happy. Am I wrong?

Thanks a lot for the help.


texts: When you have no idea how to start a speech

texts:
Imagine yourself in a business meeting where you as the presenter are beginning to give a speech and the crowd are looking at you. You don't know how to start and where from you have to begin!
I was wondering if in the self-made sentence below the word from is redundant:

  Well, I don't know where should I start from?

Meanwhile, could you please let me know if the sentence above sounds natural to you?


texts:
If a woman say:

  At our last yearly convention in Miami all the men were crazy about this extremely beautiful woman.

Will the person who she is talking to understand that she is talking about another woman – a woman she saw at the convention and possibly not even met her personally? Or that she is talking about herself – being selfish and trying to demonstrate how much men admire her?


texts: Play games with one's reputation / dignity

texts:
Suppose someone is trying to endanger your reputation / dignity. For example you borrowed some money from somebody and did not clear the check you drew for him for the borrowed money; he comes to your office and starts shut and make a situation in which you lose face in front of your staff. Then the following sentence which is a translation from my mother language would work in English or it sounds like something unidiomatic to you:

  Don’t play games with my dignity.


texts:
Put your comment on my post.
Put your comment at my post.
Which one is correct?

I mean to say,  which preposition is appropriate for this sentence?

"At"or "on"?


texts:
Spotty - (N. Amer.) of uneven quality; patchy

uneven - not uniform or equal
What is the meaning of quality in this context?


texts: A phrase to cover the meaning of "crawlers generated by crawlers"?

texts: I am writing a crawler(web crawler). While crawling, the crawler will generate other crawlers(objects which have a simple and unit[do one thing] crawling function, except to generate other sibling crawlers when needed, once triggered). And it will expire once being used. Any proper names for such an object?


texts:
HALO: The Fall of Reach

  If nothing else, Cortana liked a challenge.

Does it mean

  Maybe, challenge was Cartana's only hobby.

?


texts:
A : Clay, I think you got something that belongs to me.

  B: I do?

What does "I do" signify here? Where should we use it?

I interpreted it as: "Do I have?"


texts: Read ACROSS MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES (phrasing)

texts:
Let's say you wanted to learn from different sources from different authors. That's why you read books. You say:

  sentence # 1) I read books to learn and improve my English. I read across multiple disciplines.

Or

  sentence # 2) I read books to learn and improve my English. I read across from multiple disciplines. (My construction)

So are they different with each other? I can't find their difference, help.


texts:
I learned that two of the sentence patterns are S V O C and S V O O,
the verbs in these patterns would be different from other verbs, meaning they would have their own grammar rules.

What if I use these kinds of verbs in a way that does not fall into the two mentioned structures, say, I put these kinds of verbs in a gerund form or a infinitive form?

Do the rules still apply?

These verbs still have to be followed by object + complement or indirect object + direct object ?

For example,

Infintive form:

  The soldiers have no desire to keep the citizens safe.

  The students aren't willing to give others their textbooks.

Gerund form:

  The soldiers are tired of keeping the citizens safe.

  The teacher never took an interest in reading the students a story.

These are some sentences I wrote, they don't seem to fit into S V O C and S V O O patterns,
but are the sentences still grammatical?


texts: "I ___ want to straighten your cap." - only, just, merely, ...?

texts:
Somebody is wearing a cap. I am stretching out my hand towards the cap. The person is backing away. Probably assuming I would grab the cap. But I don't want to grab the cap. I want to straighten it. So, I am saying:

  I ___ want to straighten your cap.

Which word to use before "want": only, just, merely, ...?


texts: "search results" or "the search results"

texts:
Using articles is sometimes tricky. But I hope my understanding is improving with the great answers provided in this forum.

  Some students said that the Google search engine show xx in the search
  results

Or,

  Some students said that the Google search engine show xx in search
  results


texts: Could you explain these two simple sentences grammatically?

texts:
there are two sentences I can't understand while I read a book. It is about brain injury. Please help!

The catastrophic effect of my injury was such that I was shattered and then remolded by the experience, and I emerged from it a profoundly different person with a different set of convictions, values, and priorities.

-> If I remove such that - emerged from it, then it says the catastrophic effect of my injury was a profoundly different person and it doesn't make sense to me. Either, I emerged from it a profoundly different person doesn't make sense.

On his journey, Linge learned how his injured brain affected his behaviour, he relearned many skills, and he learned to compensate for "the impairments his changed brain" imposed on him.

-> The impairments his changed brain? What is this list of nouns and what does "imposed" mean here?

Thank you in advance!


texts:
What does "taking evident private delight" mean? Does it mean "To have a feeling of delight"?
Does "treasure" refer to precious pieces displayed in science museums?

Context:

  Viewers are free to make their own associations, just as they unwittingly do when they contemplate ‘genuine’ science collections, their eyes moving arbitrarily from one piece to the next involuntarily investing their own layers of meaning onto the official version and taking evident private delight from doing so, as they rediscover for themselves a childlike pleasure in finding, sorting and rearranging ‘treasure’.


texts:
In Hebrew, the term "grey market" refers to a market of loans given by private lenders, with the following characteristics:

Usury rates are much higher: even 1% per day is common.
Collection is much stricter: a defaulting debtor is subject to mental and physical violence and may even be murdered.
Lenders are usually related to and cooperate with underworld criminal organizations.

The term has a very strong negative connotation. Most people strongly hate or fear the "grey market" of loans.

In contrast, the term "grey market" in English refers to something entirely different - a legal but unofficial market of products. It doesn't have such a strong negative connotation.

What English term best describes the "grey market" of loans which I described above?


texts: In what contexts do I use the collocation "get home" and "get back home"?

texts:
Could you tell me in what contexts I use get home and get back home. For example, which one I use in the following context?

  I am going out to meet up with some friends.I will get home/get back home in an hour.

Are there situations where I would use get home but not get back home and the other way around?


texts: Is 'fascinates" and "is fascinating" interchangeable?

texts:
What's the difference between:

This fascinates me
This is fascinating to me

I just wanted to know because I am curious.


texts: How to express this action: Do not put the cake vertically to eat, put it horizontally?

texts:
My toddler often puts the cake vertically to eat, as shown in the below picture

It is hard for him to eat if he does like that, I want him to put the cake horizontally to eat like the below picture

How to express this action using common everyday terms: Please Do not put the cake vertically to eat, put it horizontally?

I also think about some adverbs such as "upside down", "right side up", etc.


texts:
From the GMAT test:

Gall's hypothesis of there being different mental functions localized in different parts of the brain is widely accepted today.

A. of there being different mental functions localized in different parts of the brain is widely accepted today.

B. of different mental functions that are localized in different parts of the brain is widely accepted today.

C. that different mental functions are localized in different parts of the brain is widely accepted today.

D. which is that there are different mental functions localized in different parts of the brain is widely accepted today.

E. which is widely accepted today is that there are different mental functions localized in different parts of the brain.

I would like to know why the choice B does not fit. The right answer is C. In terms of the choice B the explanation is as follows: B is "grammatically correct but Incorrect" because "per this choice we do not know precisely what the hypothesis is". I do not understand this. I get the information about the the content of the hypothesis (hypothesis of different mental functions). I am not able to see any difference between B and C alternatives.


texts:
I am aware "before" can be used as a preposition of place. Is the meaning of this sentence clear?

  There is a puddle of water before the stairs.


texts: What is the meaning of ", an important step forward"?

texts:
What is the meaning of ", an important step forward" in the following sentences,

  The antibody was developed in collaboration with two research groups
  in the US. The team has now established that the antibody can
  neutralize a lab variant of the virus, an important step forward
  in the development of a potential antiviral drug against the new
  coronavirus.

( Source: VIB achieves important milestone in the development of a COVID-19 drug  )

?

Does "The team has now established that the antibody can neutralize a lab variant of the virus, an important step forward" mean "The team has now established that the antibody can neutralize a lab variant of the virus. And that the antibody can neutralize a lab variant of the virus is an important step forward" ?

Does "," in ", an important step forward" mean "and that the antibody can neutralize a lab variant of the virus is" ?

If so, after a ",", I have often seen sentences without conjunctions, subjects and verbs. In this cases, does "," imply the meaning of conjunctions, subjects, and verbs?


texts:
What is the meaning of "as having" in English language? For example, in this fragment:

  Celebrities who have been quoted as having used something

Is this an idiom or something else? I am not getting the clear meaning of this.


texts: What's the meaning of "make sb roll a stone"?

texts:
Machiavelli "TO FRANCESCO VETTORI, FLORENCE, DECEMBER 10, 1513"

  The necessity that chases me makes me give it, because I am becoming worn out, and I cannot remain as I am for a long time without becoming despised because of poverty, besides the desire I have that these Medici lords begin to make use of me even if they should begin by making me roll a stone. For if I should not then win them over to me, I should complain of myself; and through this thing, if it were read, one would see that I have neither slept through nor played away the fifteen years I have been at the study of the art of the state.

I know the proverb "a rolling stone (gathers no moss)".


texts: Proper way to express "He disappeared them"

texts:
While watching an early episode of the TV show, "The Blacklist," one of the characters used the phrase:

  We got the list of the people he disappeared.

I'm sure they meant the people the bad guy helped to disappear, but shouldn't "he disappeared" mean that he, the bad guy disappeared?

What, exactly, did the character mean when he said that and what would be a grammatically correct way to say it?


texts: That vs Whose in these particular sentences

texts:
How many people are there that the Joker is not the reason for them knowing who Joaquin Pheonix is.

1 sounds unnatural.

  How many people are there whose reason for them knowing who Joaquin Pheonix is not the Joker.

2 seems natural.

Is 1 correct? If not, then why?


texts:
Can it be used for any purpose?

Please check the image.
What is the name of such tool that is used to weigh compost and fertilizer?


texts:
I'd like to ask if there is an ambiguity in the following sentence in terms of the possibility of her late

  She said she would be late

In reported speeches we do not change model like would, could, might, yet we use would when we there is uncertainty.

For example :

  I will be late, don't wait for me.
  (  99 % certainty)

  I would be late. ( she could be either late or not)

But in the end we report these different sentences in the same format as

  She said she would be late.

Or I can ask what would be natural and explicit conversation in this case so as to avoid misunderstanding, that is

What would she said if she thought she may/might  be late.


texts:
I have been searching for a while, and I haven't seen a good discussion of this phrase. It seems to me like the preposition is in question (I've heard it both ways), and the possessive is also in question (I have arguments for both).

First, the possessive. The moment is personified and it is noticing. So the phrase would be sort of magical. You're imagining a moment as a person and that moment would have very brief notice, so the meaning works. That is, almost no notice at all. The problem with this is that it's a bit crazy. How would we know how much notice a moment would give? How did something so poetic become common usage?

The other interpretation (without the possessive) is that it's a measure of the amount of notice. One moment of notice, but then I suppose it should be singular.

What are your thoughts?

Edit: It has been suggested that this is a duplicate of the "24 hours(') notice" problem. I think it's a subtly different problem. 24 hours notice can reliably be considered an amount of notice, so the phrase can certainly be interpreted as correct without the apostrophe. Moments is more complex because it can't be plural (as noted in the original question and as reinforced in the discussion) and therefore, we enter the complex discussion of the possessive's correctness. Personally, I think that discussion was worth having, and I think the answer was worth it, but given the comments (now chat), it seems like my understanding of what could/should happen on a site like this is different from the community's understanding.


texts:
I saw a book titled

  "How Aircraft Move Through the Air".

But is that correct? I think aircraft is the singular. So
Would it be "moves" or "moved"(in case of past sentence)?

Am I wrong?
Please let me know.
Thanks.


texts: helping in finding out the concept of a sentence

texts:
Trash art has been around for years, and it seems to make a comeback from time to time. But it seems that only the more eccentric or popular artists are viewed as true artists when working with items normally discarded in the trash pile. Why can’t average people be considered artists when they pull the same items out and mold them into some form of personal art of their own creating? Maybe it’s because we all have our own pre-set ideas of what art is and isn’t, or who artists are or should be.
I am wondering if it has been around or there has been such art how it is coming?-- I mean it had been around.
Could you through an example show me the concept or the relationship between the bold part sentences?
Thanks


texts: Meaning of "It's easy when you're done" in a dialogue?

texts:
there was a conversation on a stack and there were some comments, I could not relate to each other.

First person commenting on the text : Do you have any reference to an easy in-place implementation of the merge step in mergesort? (just curious)

text owner: I haven't checked these, but they popped up when I searched. (some links ....)

First person Okay, so easy is in the eye of the beholder. It's easy when you're done.**

I know that in the eye of beholder means that, being easy looks different to every person, but what does It's easy when you're done from the same line? or maybe the whole last comment.


texts:
I think it's the first time I've ever seen a double contraction like this:

  "That’s, let’s be optimistic, a 30 to 50 mile radius at least in which we are the only two people left. I can’t even calculate how many people that means just vanished.” If I wasn’t driving, I’d’ve squeezed my eyes shut and shrunk down in the seat, to try to combat the thoughts this line of talk was forcing into my mind. source

Is this correct standard English?

How does one pronounce that thing?


texts: What is another phrases for "My body is lean toward ..."?

texts:
What is another concise phrases for

  My body is lean toward the steering wheel to dodge the bullet

with the same meaning?

lean toward is the big part that need to revise.

It is difficult look up synonym phrases on all types of search engines.


texts: we were talking and catching up on what we’ve been doing

texts:
A: Well, we were talking and catching up on what we've been doing, talking about work and family, when all of a sudden, Matt saw a mouse run under his chair and he completely lost it! He started freaking out, and screaming...

  B: Ha ha, really?

  A: Yeah, and the funniest thing was, that he jumped on to his chair and started shrieking like a girl. You should have been there! Everyone was staring and laughing... it was hilarious!

(emphasis added)

For present tense, we say: We are talking and catching up on what we've been doing.

So, for past tense, we should say: We were talking and catching up on what we'd been doing.

Here, the speaker was talking about a past event. Why did he say "We were talking and catching up on what we've been doing"?


texts:
Sentence

He-for there could be no doubt of his sex, though the fashion of the time did something to disguise it-was in the act of slicing at the head of a Moor which swung from the rafters.

What relation/meaning does sentence want to convey between "he" and the act of slicing.and what is a Moor.is it a head of Muslim/black man hanging on roof.and he is trying to slice it which gives away his gender/sex. i can't make sense of this. TIA


texts: Is "issue is working" correct expression?

texts:
In the bug report comment:

  Today this issue is working fine for me.

I saw this phrase and got confused. I would rather say "This issue resolved" or "I haven't noticed this issue today".
Is that correct expression? Are my variants valid?


texts: Need Some Help In Controversial Verbal Reasoning Question

texts:
This is a question from Manhattan test prep 5lb book, page 142:

  A Small Place is Jamaica Kincaid’s memoir of growing up in Antigua as well as an indictment of the Antiguan government and Britain’s colonial legacy in Antigua. Kincaid blames colonial rule for many of Antigua’s current problems, including drug dealing and selling off land for tourist properties. Kincaid’s critics question why, if the British are responsible for the Antiguan government’s corruption, the British government itself isn’t more corrupt. Kincaid has responded that there must have been some good people among the British, but that they stayed home.

  Based on the information in the passage, which of the following would Kincaid most likely agree with?

  a. A government can bring about a degree of corruption abroad that the government itself does not suffer from at home.
  b. Britain has caused corruption in governments throughout its former colonial empire.
  c. Selling off land for tourism-related purposes is a problem for Antigua.

The answer and conclusion given in the book is a and c only.

  Kincaid’s critics point out that Britain’s government is not as corrupt as Antigua’s. Kincaid makes a witty rejoinder, but does not deny that the British government is less corrupt than Antigua’s. This, coupled with her stated belief that Britain is responsible for corruption in Antigua, justifies the first statement. As for the second statement, it would not be surprising if Kincaid did think this, but no governments of the “former colonial empire” are discussed in the passage except Antigua’s. Finally, the third passage refers to “Antigua’s current problems, including drug dealing and selling off land for tourist properties,” so the third statement is true.

However, I do not agree that kincaid believed that Britain's government was "not at all corrupt". She just does not deny the fact that Antigua is more corrupt than Britain.

See option a, which in a way can be interpreted as Britain is not all corrupt.
Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Which 'the' can be omitted in the construction of '[the] nounA of [the] nounB'

texts:
The ABC analysis was adopted in this study. The results of the ABC
  analysis were subjected to the DEF analysis.

ABC and DEF are two specific types of analysis.

I am not sure in what circumstances I can omit the definite articles. I prefer 1 and 3 because the second half of the sentence emphasizes the specific type of 'results', so I think there should be a 'the' in front. But my English-speaking friend told me that 1 and 2 are correct...

The results of the ABC analysis
Results of the ABC analysis
The results of ABC analysis
Results of ABC analysis


texts:
Watching this video, an American called Nick says, to Americans, the sentence "It seems that" sounds weird, but "It seems like" sounds more natural to Americans. Does it hold true? Most of the conversation is done in English, so please try to listen to this.
The Japanese on the right side is taught mostly by Australians so any English speakers' responses are welcome.
Thank you in advance.


texts:
A crusty old grumbler who lost his temper if the porridge was cold,
  why should he preach to us? (Virginia Woolf, To the
  Lighthouse)

I.
‘Should’ is the past from reader’s present time.

II.
‘Should’ is the present or future from past reference time.
Or, ‘should’ is the past from speech time.
(There isn’t any tense from readers)

Which one is right?


texts:
I'm pretty sure that I can use 'past tense' where we can use 'past perfect'. The only difference that I feel is if speaker is willing to emphasize the fact something had happened before another happened. Here are examples.

They started to work on this project, and about a month after that, I started.

They had started to work on this project, and about a month after that, I started.

They started to work on this project about a month before I started.

They had started to work on this project about a month before I started.

I feel all of them are available and natural, I prefer #2,4 though. Am I right?


texts: Noun/Pronoun place before gerund must be in possessive case?

texts:
So instead of saying:

  All depends on Ron winning a scholarship.

we should say this:

  All depends on Ron's winning a scholarship.


texts: What combination of tense and aspect is “It has already been planned”?

texts:
I have been learning English grammar and I’ve encountered a sentence that I cannot identify as being in any of the tenses that I know. This one’s got me really confused:

  It has already been planned.

Is “has been planned” really in the present tense, or is it really in the past tense?

At first I thought it might be in the simple past perfect, but that can’t be right because there is no been in the forms used for the past perfect construction.
Then I thought it might be in the simple present perfect since it has got has which is an irregular present-tense verb, but then where does the planned part come from? Isn’t planned a past-tense verb?

I see both a present-tense verb (has) and a past-tense verb (planned) there, so it confuses me which one it is. Can somebody explain this for me?


texts: The exact meaning of "civilized pleasure"

texts:
What's the meaning of "civilized pleasure" in this paragraph?
"... We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them... "


texts:
I saw the verbs flake off and peel is used for these situations but I would like to ask how to inform a painter or someone about the problem in different and unambiguous ways.

For example, which one is better?

  The ceiling is flaking off / peeling.

or

  The paint on the ceiling is flaking off/ peeling.

And can I use "pull down" and "fall off/down" such as

  The paint on the wall pulls down.

  The paint on the ceiling falls down/ falls off.


texts:
I found a sentence in a translation that looks something like this:

He accepted his father's wisdom both in times of affliction and joy.

My problem is the use of the structure both in times of affliction and joy. Is it correct? Should it not be:

both in times of affliction and of joy

or

in times of both affliction and joy?


texts:
... Uncle Vernon brought out a bottle of brandy.  "Can I tempt you, Marge?" Aunt Marge had already had quite a lot of wine.

In this context, Uncle Vernon said it to offer some brandy to Marge. I'd like to know if this sentence/phrase is common. Is it regional? Can we use it in other contexts as well? I think the sentence might have some other connotations, and especially the word 'tempt' might evoke something sexual.


texts: What does "go-round" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I lighted upon a sentence on The Huffington Post:

  The phrase that reached out and grabbed me this go-round was, “For it’s money they have and peace they lack.”

Merriam Webster defines it as "one of a series of recurring actions or events : round," so does the sentence mean the following? But it doesn't really make sense

  The phrase that reached out and grabbed me this time was, “For it’s money they have and peace they lack.”

Edit to add a related question:

this go-round -- what does that mean?

I found @Michael Rybkin's question pertaining to mine. In that question, since the book has gone through several revisions, it makes sense to have several times around, but that doesn't appear to be the case here. The article that contains the sentence I am having trouble with is not about something that requires multiple attempts or rounds. That is the reason it doesn't make sense.


texts:
This is my conversation with my friend:

Me: Don't worry, I'll not let you down
My friend: ok my friend. I trust you, you admin.

I don't understand what You admin means.
How should i understand the meaning of You admin?


texts: If a sentence You gave a gift becomes a passive form, which of following two is right? A gift was given you or A gift was given by you. I am confused. An answer or any related reference is appreciated!


texts: When can we use the verb "perform" with the noun "work"? Does it suggest any special idea? or is it simply a formal way to say "do work"?


texts: Difference between normalization and normalisation

texts:
Regard this review. I used normalization instead of normalisation.

Google says "Normalisation is the process of taking data from a problem and reducing it to a set of relations while ensuring data integrity and eliminating data redundancy. Data integrity - all of the data in the database are consistent, and satisfy all integrity constraints."

And "Database normalization, or simply normalization, is the process of organizing the columns (attributes) and tables (relations) of a relational database to minimize data redundancy."

  Can you explain it in formal way, please?


texts: Usage of pronoun to refer a noun when there's a intervening text in between

texts:
Does the pronoun they fit the following sentence? I want to refer those 20 students by using they. There's an intervening text between the first and third sentence so does using they sound right and natural? Should I use the workers instead of they?

There are 20 workers in my factory. This is a 20% increase from last year. They are very creative and honest.


texts: Idiom or phrase for a situation where someone asks for advice from the worst possible person?

texts: You found that one of your friends is asking some advice from someone, but you find it hilarious because that someone is the worst adviser in the history of the universe, even though there are many good people available to take advice from.


texts: Can I use "at the end" the same way as "at last"?

texts:
He has been waiting for this letter for days, and at last it has come.

Can I use "at the end" instead?


texts:
The chief imagination of Christendom,
  Dante Alighieri, so utterly found himself
  That he has made that hollow face of his
  More plain to the mind's eye than any face
  But that of Christ. Source

"imagination" means "one who imagines" here.
But this is not found in any dictionaries.
Is this usage of nouns common?
"beauty" is found in any dictionary, but "Imagination" not.


texts:
What's the right verb in English for describing a doctor's action of putting stitches on the damaged area of patient's body?
Is the following sentence okay in English?

I got a foot injury last night. Had to go to hospital and doctor put
on four stitches.

I am afraid this one sounds wrong - as if doctor was putting on some stitches, that is, like he would be putting on some clothes.


texts: Term for someone who has lost his immediate family

texts:
I've come across someone trying to write about a man who lost his wife and child to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Is there any term like "widower" or "orphan" but for describing someone who has lost his wife and children?

(As far as I'm aware, his parents aren't alive.)


texts: what is the last thing you ordered takeout? -- how do you understand this sentence grammatically? I'm taking about "takeout"

texts:
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REgfziJqD14#t=1m48s (at 1 min. 48 sec., just click the link and it will take you to the exact timing automatically)

  What is the last thing you ordered takeout?

What part of speech is takeout in this sentence and how does it figure into the rest of the sentence grammatically? I can't really make proper sense of this sentence.


texts: Words which mean Off and On when someone is speaking a second language

texts:
My spoken English is not very good; my vocabulary is weak too.

Sometimes when I am talking to some foreigners, I have to think for a while to find the word I want in my mind but this always makes the conversations swap between "on" and "off".

By this I mean that the conversations are suddenly stopped because I have to look for a suitable word or phrase. Usually it's a minute or two before we can continue the conversation.

Is there a word that can fully describe the "on" and "off" state I experience in these situations?


texts: How to tell whether ing forms are gerunds or participles

texts:
So I looked up the meanings of the word "former" and the descriptions were as follows :

  Having previously been a particular thing.
  Denoting the first or first mentioned of two people or things.

I dont know whether having and denoting are gerunds or participles and although I can normally tell the difference sometimes its very difficult.

Examples of where its clear which one it is :

Gerund : Walking on the beach is fun.

Participle : Walking on the beach, I got sunburned because I forgot to use sunscreen.


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

texts:
This is quoted from article Moderate exercise not only treats, but prevents depression:

  Physical activity is being increasingly recognized as an effective tool to treat depression. PhD candidate George Mammen’s review published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has taken the connection one step further, finding that moderate exercise can actually prevent episodes of depression in the long term.

What does recognize said above mean? I've looked up OALD and there are several definitions that could fit this context, but I'm unsure which is the most appropriate, they are:

  to admit or to be aware that something exists or is true

  SYNONYM acknowledge
  -They recognized the need to take the problem seriously.
  -Drugs were not recognized as a problem then.
  -Nobody recognized how urgent the situation was.
  -We recognized that the task was not straightforward.
  -It was recognized that this solution could only be temporary.
  -Drugs were not recognized to be a problem then.
  to accept and approve of somebody/something officially

  -recognized qualifications
  -The UK has refused to recognize the new regime.
  -He is recognized to be their natural leader.
  to be thought of as very good or important by people in general

  -The book is now recognized as a classic.
  -She's a recognized authority on the subject.


texts: Difference between 'way back then' and 'way back when'

texts:
Can anyone here please tell me the difference between 'way back then' and  'way back when' ?

Thanks,
Vivek


texts:
What are the differences between "to start off" and " start out" ?

I think they have a common sense which is "to begin to do something" but apparently also they have some unique usages.

Do you think they are interchangeable in the following sentences I excerpted from Oxford Dictionaries.

  1.She started out on her legal career in 2008.

  2.When the band started out, they couldn't afford much equipment.

  3.I started out to write a short story, but it soon developed into a
  novel.

  4.The discussion started off mildly enough.

  5.Let's start off with some gentle exercises.

  6.We started off by introducing ourselves.

  7.I started off working quite hard, but it didn't last.

  8.Start out by accessing your list of Applications from your Androids
  Home screen.

I read this thread about "start vs start off" and the answer is very good but that question does not overlap my question.


texts: what does "landslides, & landmines" mean here?

texts:
Fixing, to find you
In this treacherous terrain
There's llandslides, landmines
It's a jungle that we made
You're not the king of it no more

Does it denote " our mistakes and shortfalls" ?


texts:
I wish to say the following two things but felt a lot of the two sentences are redundant and could be combined into one.
The two sentences are:

"Delete the steps of sieving the granules with #40 screen."
"Delete the steps of collecting the granules that are larger than the screen."

My attempt to combine the two sentences results in the below:
"Delete the steps of sieving the granules with #40 screen, and of collecting it that are larger than the screen."
I wonder if my attempt is understandable and if there are better ways to further simplify the sentence.


texts:
SENTENCE: "The ministry of health warns from the consumption of melon fruits"

My colleagues and I are debating whether or not "warns from" is grammatically correct. I googled the phrase and although, "warned about", "warned of", and "warned against" popped up, "warns from" never did. But I'm thinking, maybe it's just not colloquially used but still grammatically correct?


texts: Are adverbials inclined to the subject?Rather than simply modifying the verb

texts:
"He writes the word on the board."

If adverbials are simply about the verb, then “on the board” in “He writes the word on the board” can be explained as either an adverbial or an complement, for on the board simply describes writing.

But evidently, “on the board’ is a complement, not an adverbial. In my understanding, adverbials are more inclined to the subject and meanwhile very related to the verb. So “on the board” cannot be an adverbial, for if it is, it will mean the man is standing on the board.

However in most grammar books, adverbials are described as merely “modifying or defining the sentence or the verb”, no subject here. I mean can “modifying the verb” be understood as adverbials are inclined to the subject or not?


texts: Choices: It's or It's been? When to use which?

texts:
It's three years since I last went to the cinema.

or

  It's been three years since I last went to the cinema.

I chose It's been because I think this is an action which started in the past and continues in the present. Moreover, since usually goes with Present Perfect. This maybe my confusion, but whenever I see since, I automatically get Present Perfect.

(https://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/present-perfect/)

However, my teacher got It's as there's a formula like It is + time + since. But I got very confused as I don't know when to use which?

As I searched in https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/linking-words-and-expressions/since, it seems that both is correct. But which would you as a native speaker often use?


texts: What is the difference between "where are you living" and "where do you live"

texts:
If I want to ask a friend of mine where he is living could I use both sentences below in the same context?

  1 where are you living

  2 where do you live

If both are wrong, then what is the difference between 1 and 2?


texts:
While reading the article, I am quite confused about the part bolded "whether fallen or not".

I believe there might be two possible answers:

1: I did not stop to think whether the whirring cicadas was fallen or not.

2: I did not stop to think whether the angels was fallen or not.

The article:

The whirring cicadas might have been the rustling wings of angels -- I did not stop to think whether fallen or not.


texts: I've seen many [ a shooting star / shooting stars ] lately

texts: Is the former like there were a few days where a single shooting star appeared? And is the latter like there were a few days where one or more than one shooting stars appeared?


texts: So, "Would have + PP" or "Would not have + PP" only refers to unreal events, right?

texts:
I want to clarify this:

According to this site:

"Would have + past participle" has 2 uses:

  1: Part of the third conditional.

  If I had had enough money, I would have bought a car (but I didn't
  have enough money, so I didn't buy a car).

  If you had woken up early, you wouldn't have missed the train.

  2: Because 'would' (and will) can also be used to show if you want to
  do something or not (volition), we can also use would have + past
  participle to talk about something you wanted to do but didn't. This
  is very similar to the third conditional, but we don't need an 'if
  clause'.

  I would have gone to the party, but I was really busy. (= I wanted to
  go to the party, but I didn't because I was busy. If I hadn't been so
  busy, I would have gone to the party.)

  I would have called you, but I didn't know your number. (= I wanted to
  call you but I didn't know your number, so I didn't call you.)

  A: Nobody volunteered to help us with the fair

  B: I would have helped you. I didn't know you needed help. (= If I had
  known that you needed help, I would have helped you.)

So, according to the site, "Would have + PP" or "Would not have + PP" only refers to unreal events.

My question is that

Does "Would have + PP" or "Would not have + PP" also refer to real events?

Or, Does "Would have + PP" or "Would not have + PP" only refer to unreal events?

So, ex, "I would have called you" or "I wouldn't have called you" always refer to unreal events, that is it only refers to "I didn't call you" or "I called you" respectively, right?


texts: With the event happening on Friday .. can this imply future tense?

texts:
Is it possible to imply the future tense with this construction?

  With the event happening on Friday...
  With the event to happen to Friday....


texts: Is it grammatically correct to say “the more likely it would be to have a high intelligence”?

texts:
In double comparatives, is it grammatically correct to say

The better capacity of logical thinking, the more likely it would be to have a high intelligence.


texts: `it` and `occur in` or `occur to` in a long sentence

texts:
I can't understand the below long sentence.

  The string `{}' is replaced by the current file name being processed everywhere it occurs in the arguments to the command,
  not just in arguments where it is alone, as in some versions of find.

Let's divided it into several parts.

  The string {} is replaced by the current file name being processed

It is simple, I knew, being processed is a attribute which modify the current file name.

  everywhere it occurs in the arguments to the command,

Adverbs of Place
2.1  it means {}?
2.2   occur to or occur in?

  it occurs in the arguments (to the command)
  it (in the arguments) occurs to the command?

Which interpretation is correct?

  not just in arguments where it is alone

I don't know what does not just in arguments where it is alone mean?


texts: Adverbs after the verb "BE" in "he has and STILL IS"?

texts:
In my grammar book, I saw this:

  He has been looking everywhere for you, and he still is.

Why does 'is' stand after an adverb?
I thought that there was a rule that we have to put adverbs after to be.
And one more time, why "is"? Why not like this:

  He has been looking for you, and he has still.


texts: this book is sold subject to the condition that... -- I don't quite understand the "is sold subject to" part

texts:
Example sentence:

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

I don't quite understand the grammar behind the is sold subject to part. Is subject to the condition that... used as some kind of adverbial construct? If so, then I believe I can ask the following question:

  How is this book sold?

And receive the following answer:

  It is sold subject to the condition that you are not allowed to make copies of it and redistribute it.

Is my understanding correct?


texts: Is it correct to connect upper case cursive letters to lower case ones?

texts:
https://www.logicofenglish.com/blog/44-handwriting/525-connecting-uppercase-cursive-letters

I just love English cursive alphabets and I often use them in my handwriting. I never connect upper-case cursive letters to lower-case ones. But on the above link there are some examples of connecting them. is that writing style correct or not?


texts: How to describe an abandoned sailboat having been finally brought by winds to the shore?

texts:
What's the verb to describe an abandoned sailboat being finally brought by the winds to the shore of a sea or of the ocean?

  The sailboat was finally brought to a shore. ?

  The sailboat was finally carried to a shore. ?

  The sailboat was finally borne to a shore. ?

Or what?


texts:
"This made the television advertising of mass consumer products relatively straightforward ― not to say easy ― whereas today it is necessary for advertisers to build up coverage of their target markets over time, by advertising on a host of channels with separate audiences.
Still, it is arguable that advertisers worry rather too much about this problem, as advertising in other media has always been fragmented. Moreover, advertisers gain considerable benefits from the price competition between the numerous broadcasting stations."
Q. What does "it is arguable" mean here? "it is controversial and doubtful" or "it is almost certain"?


texts: Why do we pronounce "slurp" with ə, but "slump" with ʌ?

texts:
Why do we pronounce slurp as /sləːp/ or /slɜ:p/ (BrE) or /slɝ:p/ (AmE) (Cambridge Dictionary of Pronunciation), but slump as /slʌmp/?

Is it because of the presence of R?


texts:
I enjoyed going to Sydney at Christmas. (The Cambridge
  Grammar of the English Language)

“Enjoy” in the example seems to have meaning of perfection, for the adjunct, ‘at Christmas’ is not ‘at Christmases’. While, “I enjoy dancing” and “I still enjoy good health” (Wiktionary) seem to have imperfective meaning, that is, “I enjoy dancing as a habit”, “I enjoy good health from the past till present all the time,” respectively. Can ‘enjoy’ really be used as both meanings of ‘enjoying once’ and ‘enjoy all the time or repeatedly’ –– for example, can “I enjoyed going to Sydney at Christmases” be possible?


texts:
There is a sentence from GoT: And perhaps the dragon did remember, but Dany could not

What the differences between sentences:

  And perhaps he did remember, but she could not

  And perhaps he remembered, but she could not

Is it correct to use did + Verb?


texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

  Many Urdu plays are adapted from English

I think it should be

  Many Urdu plays are adapted from the English literature.


texts: The facts about "have" and "have got" in BrE

texts:
I am really confused now, so I've found out that:

Facts :

HAVE GOT is only used in the present and past form.
the plain "have" is used in all tenses.
HAVE GOT cannot be combined with the modal verbs such as :must, may, might, can, etc. and can't be combined with to+infinitive.
Only the plain "have" can be combined with the modal verbs & it can be combined with to+infinitive.
HAVE GOT and the plain "have" are used in BrE. (Do BrE natives use both ?
Could you explain the differences between them?)
The pattern

A. HAVE GOT : I have got.. & I haven't got..& have I got (in the negative, haven't I got ___ ?)

B. HAVE : I do have.. / I have.. & I don't have.. & do I have? (negative, don't I have?)

C. past : I had got /(I did have) I had & I hadn't got /I didn't have & had I got (hadn't I got?), did I have? ( didn't I have?)

Are these facts correct?
I await your explanations, thanks.


texts:
Phrases

We traveled 60 miles.
'Distance traveled by light'
He worked nine hours.
'Hours worked by employees'

Q1.
In Oxford dictionary, phrases representing distance following the verb travel are classified as 'adverbial noun', not object. (As the 'nine hours' in the 3th sentence is.) Then, 'Distance' is not Semantically the object of the verb 'travel'. So is 'hours' to 'worked' in the 3th phrase. Then, in 2nd and 4th sentences How could they be used as passive voice? How should I understand the phrases above?

Q2.
If they are not passive voice, are they just past participle? I also wonder if intransitive verb could be used as 'be + past participle'.

Sorry for my poor English. Thank you in advance!!


texts: Difference between "shameless" and "unashamed"

texts: Could anyone please tell me what's the difference in meaning between the words 'shameless' and 'unashamed'?


texts: Is it okay to use "taken care" without "of"

texts:
Please find the below sentence and let me know whether it is right or wrong.

  Accounting issue is taken care by Joseph.


texts: The guy with the red shirt/with the red shirt on

texts:
I was trying to say this to my friend and I get so confused. Which sentence is correct here?

  Can you see that guy with the red shirt?

  Can you see that guy with the red shirt on?

  Can you see that guy in the red shirt?

Thanks in advance!


texts: Is “I killed him who carried a gun” grammatically correct?

texts:
This is a grammatically correct sentence:

  It is him who carried a gun.

-

But this one:

  I killed him who carried a gun.

sounds a little odd.

Is this sentence grammatically correct? If not, what is the problem?


texts: Is the sentence “I'm not doing that because I hate you" ambiguous?

texts:
I'm not doing that because I hate you

This sentence seems ambiguous to me.

When I pause (place a comma) between "that" and "because", or add "just" between them, I get the two meanings.

Someone please explain this to me?


texts: I've just encountered this title of BBC news page on Facebook and then looked for the meaning in the dictionary but I couldn't tell the meaning of it in this context.


texts: What's the meaning of "the grammatical logic was as much in need of correction"?

texts:
Firstly, I don't know the meaning of "grammatical logic".
Secondly, I don't understand the relationship between "grammatical logic" and "correction".

Could you please explain it to me?

The text is here:

  None of my professors at BYU had examined my writing the way
  Professor Steinberg did. No comma, no period, no adjective or adverb was
  beneath his interest. He made no distinction between grammar and
  content, between form and substance. A poorly written sentence was a
  poorly conceived idea, and in his view the grammatical logic was as much
  in need of correction. “Tell me,” he would say, “why have you placed this
  comma here? What relationship between these phrases are you hoping to
  establish?” When I gave my explanation sometimes he would say, “Quite
  right,” and other times he would correct me with lengthy explanations of
  syntax.

Educated by Tara Westover


texts: How to pronounce "scorpion'll", "Jim'll", etc

texts:
I was talking to someone about a fight between a scorpion and a beetle before we watch the actual video. We were predicting what would happen.

I wanted to sound informal by saying, "the scorpion 'll kill the beetle". Then suddenly it came to me it would sound wierd (like Lionel) and I wasn't sure how it should be said so I chose the safer choice and  said, "the scorpion will kill the beetle".

I know native speakers have no problem saying it and as I checked the possible duplicates, it's actually quite common though there wasn't any question saying how to actually say it.

Long story short, I want the phonetic transcript of "scorpion'll". Should I add schwa after n? i.e. /ˈskɔːpiənəl/. And for a rule of thumb should I do the same with all other consonant sounds?  For examlpe, Jim'll, Vladimir'll.


texts: Can I use assist as a synonym of attend?

texts:
Is it correct to say "I assisted class today" or "the students who ASSISTED class...".  I know that I can use ATTEND. I have looked up ASSIST in the dictionary and it lists ATTEND as a synonym.

thanks.


texts: "all day and all night" or "all day and night"

texts:
can we re-write "all day and all night" to be "all day and night"

  No one speaks and the DVD player runs all day and all night. Adventures in Europe and Central America

  No one speaks and the DVD player runs all day and night.


texts: "the order has been failed" or "the order has failed"?

texts:
According to my understanding, since fail is an intransitive verb. So the correct one should be "the order has failed". What confuses me is that there are some sentences I saw before like "your order has dispatched". dispatch is a transitive verb here, so I think the correct one is "your order has been dispatched".
I just wonder what exactly rules apply here?


texts: Is it wrong to say "so verb that" or "so f**king verb that"?

texts:
× My smartphone so sucks that it takes about a minute to load a webpage
✓ My smartphone sucks so much that it takes about a minute to load a webpage.
× The audio so fucking sucks that it can't even pronounce/play a word correctly.
✓ The audio sucks so fucking bad that it can't even pronounce/play a word correctly.

A native English speaker once told me that sentence 1 and 2 are wrong and should be rewritten as 2 and 4, but I actually have seen "so" and "so fucking" can be used to modify "verbs" for emphasis, as in 1 and 3.

Are 1 and 3 really wrong even in colloquial English?
I seem to have heard that "so verb" and "so fucking verb" is often used among young people.

Other similar examples I found on the internet.

I so love you that I want to marry you.
The language and mindset of Econ101 so pervades public debate that it shapes the way that we all think about the economy.
They so hate that color


texts:
Why some people use thanks after "Hope this will help"?

I saw "Hope this will help. Thanks" recently but I really can't understand why some people use thanks.

Here is an example; check the accepted answer here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/22870968/wfc-rest-service-put-with-json-received-object-is-always-null


texts:
What is the verb form of trajectory?
I looked up trajectorize but there's no such word.


texts:
In this paragraph is could used as past simple of can or it is used as conditional which mean roughly the same thing as "can"?

  Jack :" But they both happened on the day of the festival, right...?"

  Bob :"Just think about it, do you think people with a lot of enemies
  here in this village could participate easily in a local festival?

  It would be especially hard for them to be around during the
  festival.

  So they probably left the village intentionally around this time of
  year to travel don't you think?".


texts: How would you call the pout that one makes when assessing a situation? Is there a word or phrase to designate this kind of grimace?


texts: Can the verb "see" be used to mean a deep understanding of someone?

texts:
Can the verb "see" or any phrasal verb containing "see" be used to mean a deep understanding of someone?

The only thing that comes to my mind is "I can see him through", but it seems to be more about knowing where someone's lies are rather than understanding that person.


texts:
Where are you from? - A guy asked me while we were in Bangkok.

I have been in Bankok my whole life.
I have been in Bangkok since my birth.
I have lived in Bangkok my whole life.

Which answer is the most preferable for native speakers ?


texts:
Which one of the following sentences is correct?

  According to German legislation, school attendance is compulsory for children ages 6 through 16.
  According to the German legislation, school attendance is compulsory for children ages 6 through 16.


texts: What to call a date when a scheduled activity can't be cancelled?

texts:
Is a date (5/5/2020 or whatever) "occupied", "busy", or else when there's some scheduled activity that can't be cancelled?

I mean, you can say 'I'm busy on Friday' or something, but I need to specifically characterize a date with some adjective to convey that a new event can't be held on the same day. What are natural ways to say that?

Suppose, here's a sentence, "The date is [word] with holding an election". What word would you use?


texts: Why is "too" used in this negative sentence?

texts:
This is a news headline on CNN.

  I was targeted during Nixon's administration. Trump shouldn't make an enemies list, too.

Why do they use "too", instead of " either" here? Isn't it a grammatical error?


texts:
Does the expression "should be introduced" affect future acts only?
If a new law states that "no excise tax should be introduced in tax law", does that affect excise tax already in the regulation?


texts: The best synonym for "partition" in this sentence

texts:
I have a network. I want to divide this network into several domains. The first version of this sentence that I have written is like this:

  The network is partitioned into several domains.

I want to rewrite this sentence and use another verb instead of "partition". I have looked for the synonyms and I have found "segregate" and "divide". I want to know which one can exactly convey the meaning here? Or is there any other alternative.


texts:
The original text:

...

  But in earlier times, when sea fish were eaten only by those who lived
  on the sea coast, when meat was obtainable only for part of the year,
  and when fasts were frequent and universally practised, river fish
  played an important part in the national life.

  ...

  Between the owners of the fisheries and the bargemaster who needed an
  unimpeded passage continuous war was fought, till the importance of
  fresh-water fish lessened as the practice of fasting ceased to be
  universal, as meat became available all the year round, and as the
  transport of sea fish inland became practicable.

How did a fast relate to the consumption of sea fish in the past?


texts: Is remiss and negligent interchangeable?

texts:
I saw that both are adjectives.

Is the only difference between remiss and negligent is that remiss is more 'stylish' and negligent more 'common'?

These are the same right?

  I would be negligent if I don't mention it to you.

  I would be remiss if I don't mention it to you.

But are these OK?

  `That's so negligent of you not to mention it to me!

  That's so remiss of you not to mention it to me!


texts:
Consider the following conversation

  Ronald: In my free time, I like traveling and photography. How about you?

  Kevin: I like watching movies and TV series. I am also a big fan of NFL.

I understand "also" indicates that the speaker is giving additional information. In this particular situation, "also" indicates Kevin is adding another hobby.

However, "also" seems to be used more like the following situations.

  A: I am a big fan of NFL.

  B: I am also a big fan of NFL.

So, should "also" be used in Kevin's introduction?


texts:
I have troubles with this simple question: Cashiers do not understand my accent, so I want to find some answer that is easier to articulate.

When I answer " I already have one " - they never understand.

Is there any other option to say (apart of "No, thanks) that I have a bag (I brought it with me) that utilizes "better" vowels for non-native speaker?

British English
UPD To those answering later: I want to improve my English pronunciation. The example in question is just one of the examples, not the whole issue, thus pantomimic clowneries could not be taken into account: NO, THANKS!


texts:
In Schindler's List (1993), a woman says a story:

The trains arrived and the people were driven out with clubs. They
were lined up in front of two big warehouses. One was marked "Cloak
Room," and the other "Valuables." And there they were made to undress.
A Jewish boy handed them pieces of string to tie their shoes together.
They shaved their hair. They told them it was needed to make something
special for U-boat crews. And then they were herded down a big
corridor to bunkers with Stars of David on the doors and signs that
said "Bath and  Inhalation Room."

Why "down a" instead of "down from"?


texts:
People have the right to demand protection ___ their business against a bandit group trying to grab it.

I see both of and for being used with protection. Although in many sentences it's clear to judge which preposition sounds better but in the above sentence both of and for sound correct,so I am not able to decide which preposition is to be used here.


texts:
The US secretary of state says America is working with Arab nations to cut the private pipeline of funds to Islamic State. (Aussie ABC news; part of it)

I listened to and wrote the above audio down, and I couldn’t catch there was ‘d’ in ‘funds.’ Is there no pronunciation difference between ‘funs’ and ‘funds’? If there is, how to pronounce differently?


texts: Here, what's the difference between how and that?

texts:
this sentence is from "how I met your mother"

  You know how I've always had a thing for half-Asian girls?

And it got me thinking about the differences between the followings

  You know that I've always had a thing for half-Asian girls?

what's the difference between them?


texts: Russia 'Fired Rockets INTO Ukraine' - BBC

texts:
A headline from a BBC News app on my mobile reads:

  Russia 'fired rockets into Ukraine'

I could not find this on the BBC website, but it shows on my cellphone.

Why into? You fire at someone/something. Maybe into refers to somewhere inside Ukraine but it looks a poor use of the preposition.

Correct me, please.


texts: Synonym of 'lexical' in spelling similarity

texts:
Word lexicial is a magic word for me to remember.

In MW dictionary,

  of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction Our language has many lexical borrowings from other languages.

Although I relate it to word 'letter', it takes seconds to recall its meaning from my memory when read it.

Is there a better word than 'letter'.


texts: past perfect progressive or past progressive

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning of the following two sentences

I was waiting for an hour when your plane arrived
I had been waiting for an hour when your plane arrived


texts: High/highly, which one is most appropriate in the given sentence.

texts:
He thinks high/highly of me.
Which one is correct and why?


texts:
It seemed to get me stuck, so I couldn't move at all.

Why isn't this like this?

It seemed to have gotten
 me stuck, so I couldn't move at all.


texts: Comprehending sentence about how SE works

texts:
Answer here contains this sentence:

  The system will automatically delete unlocked, unanswered questions
  with score of zero (or one if the owner is deleted), fewer than 1.5
  views per day on average, and fewer than two comments after 365 days.

How to understand this sentence in this answer?

My question: Suppose I posted Question on June 1, 2015 & it got 2 upvotes next day i.e June 2nd 2015 & it was unanswered with no comments & very low views. So will it stay alive on June 18 2017?


texts: "Where do you think she got the pills from?" vs "Where did you think she got the pills?" vs "Where did you think she gets the pills?"

texts:
"Where do you think she got the pills?"
"Where did you think she got the pills?"
"Where did you think she gets the pills?"
Which one is the correct sentence if I ask someone about an accident about a girl that swallowed pills and the girl is now still unconscious.


texts: What is the difference between these two sentences using infinitive phrase?

texts:
What differs these two sentences:

  She brought her boy friend to school in order for her friends to meet him.

vs

  She brought her boy friend to school for her friends to meet.

Thank you.


texts: Where should be the right location of the word "never" in the sentence?

texts:
Where should be the right location of the word "never" in the following sentence?

  1)  "We never did not have a lecture by this lecturer"

  2) "Never we did not have a lecture by this lecturer"

  3) We did not have never a lecture by this lecturer"?

  4) We did not have a lecture by this lecturer, never"


texts: Can I put "the other" instead of "each other" or "either" when there is everything mentioned in one sentence?

texts:
I am stuck in one sentence while proofreading the draft Agreement of the two parties.
Please help me!

Here is the tricky sentence that has given me headache for the past two days.

FYI. There are only two Contracting Parties.

"The Contracting Parties shall mutually recognize the identity documents of the crew members issued by the competent authorities of the other Contracting Party."

I think that "the other Contracting Party" should be replaced by "either Contracting Party" since all the Contracting Parties are mentioned as the subject in this sentence. And there is nothing left to be called "the other" among the two parties. Is it right?

Any suggestion or advice is welcomed!


texts:
1)Mathematics acts as the most important ingredient for the discovery of Higgs Boson.
2)Mathematics acts as the most important ingredient of the discovery of Higgs Boson.
3)Mathematics acts as the most important ingredient in the discovery of Higgs Boson.

Is there a difference between the three sentences? Which version  is gramatically correct?


texts: Can we say 'nonstop' to mean without resting along the road while traveling?

texts:
We went on a road trip to Moskow from Vladivostok (a city in Russia). We had some stops to sleep, rest, or enjoy the scenery on the way to Moscow but we had to come back without any stop except for filling up the tank.

Can I use nonstop for the italic part above? I feel nonstop implies a repetitive action like we keep coming back from our trip which doesn't make sense. Am I right?

Informal words or phrases are also welcome. Plus if there is a word or phrase that shows disapproval or humor that is it's not normal to do so please mention that, too.

Thanks

[Edit: Thanks to JavaLatte's comment, I changed the spelling of "non stop" to "nonstop"]


texts: "He/she is the first to..." vs. "he/she was the first to..."

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the following sentences?

Neil Armstrong is the first man to step on the Moon surface.
Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the Moon surface.

Are both perfectly grammatical?


texts:
I would rather you mended your ways or be ready to face the music.

Is the use of be above correct? Or should I replace it with got to maintain parallelism?
be ready, incidentally, shows which tense?


texts:
Look at these below sentences:

  Rain falling on the roof is making a noise.

  Rain falling on the roof makes a noise.

  Rain falls on the roof is making a noise.

  Rain falls on the roof makes a noise.

What's the difference among these sentences in meaning?
Are they all correct?


texts: Is there a difference between "You okay?" vs "Are you okay?"

texts:
I'd like to understand whether there is any difference between two greetings.

  You okay?

vs

  Are you okay?

Do they mean the same thing? When would I use one or the other? Are there differences in "level of language" or formality, or any other differences?


texts:
If a woman who got married and had a child gets divorced, can we call her single?

I searched for the term "single parent" and it seems to reflect the responsibilities of a person rather than their marital status.


texts: May the word "envy" be used as a synonym of "desire" or "wish"?

texts: I made a (very) litteral translation from french, translating "envie" into "envy". Though after some research, it seems the word "envy" is mostly used to express jealousy. May it be used otherwise as a synonym of "desire" or "wish" ?


texts: "I'm sorry to hear that" vs "I'm sorry for that" as a response

texts:
My friend called me and told he that he failed in an exam.

In my language, we usually say:

  I'm sorry to hear that.

while in English, I've noticed people mostly using:

  I'm sorry for that.

My question is—

Is "I'm sorry to hear that" correct as a response in English as in my language?


texts: Is the word 'meander' the same as 'wander'?

texts: In a dictionary, I found the word 'meander', which means 'wander'.  I've heard a lot about the phrase including 'wander', but never about meander.  So is it ok to say, "I meandered through the forest."?  Is it the same as 'wandered'?


texts: "the more" without the second comparative

texts:
Quotation from the press:

Dr Christopher Hand, a lecturer in cyberpsychology, says the more details people disclose, the less sympathy we express when things go
wrong. This could be due to a belief that we attract our own
negative experiences the more we share them. It seems that
sadfishing, the idea of searching for sympathy by oversharing, is
generally perceived as negative rather than the cry for help it could
actually be.

We have read many "the more...the more" pattern. Usually we believe when there is "the more", there must be another "the more" or comparative structure to complete the phrase. But here we don't see the second comparative. How should we understand the phrase quoted in bold? Does it mean the same as the more we attract our own negative experiences, the more we share them? Thank you


texts: What does "prize" in "the prize Middle White boar" mean? Can It be used as an adjective?

texts:
I read "the prize Middle White boar" in George Orwell's Animal Farm.

I read it on my kindle book.

The full sentence is:

  Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals.

Click: http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/literature/children/texts/orwell/animal-farm/ch01.htm

What does "prize" mean here? What kind of pig is this?


texts: Is this an Inverted sentence and what does this mean?

texts:
How lockdowns ease will itself affect the scale of economic damage.

Here is my understanding:
How does the ease of lockdowns will affect the economic damage?

Please correct me if it’s wrong. Thanks.


texts:
Your gift is the most immediate way that you can help our school which {in return / in turn} provides tuition assistance to families in need, bolsters academic programs, and enhances our students' experience.

“in turn” or “in return” - which is correct in this sentence?


texts:
Walking into his office with my news was not exactly easy, but I
thought it lucky to be delivering it to him.

I search the meaning of lucky but I still don't understand the meaning of the sentence. Does it mean:

I thought it likely to be delivering it to him.

Could you please explain it to me?
The fuller text:

Only then did I realize how few influential people I knew well enough
to ask for help. First of all, I decided, I would call Rudolf’s boss,
Minister of Foreign Trade Antonin Gregor. After all, Rudolf was his
immediate subordinate, his deputy minister. He could not have done
anything without Gregor’s authorization. Gregor was routinely informed
of every move Rudolf made – he had to stand by him. And the other
deputy minister, Jonas, had always treated us like close friends, if
not relations. He would hug me whenever we met. I would call both of
them as soon as their offices opened. I threw off Rudolf’s robe,
dressed, and forced a cup of Marenka’s black coffee down my throat.
Before I left, I went into the nursery to check on Ivan. He was fast
asleep, smiling, his cheeks flushed. Nothing had touched him yet. At
that time my editor-in-chief was Jura Zajonc, a bright, good-natured
young man who came from a long line of miners. He was, of course, a
dedicated Communist, but I had always suspected he had a mind of his
own. Walking into his office with my news was not exactly easy, but
I thought it lucky to be delivering it to him.

From Under A Cruel Star by  Heda Margolius Kovály
Translated from the Czech
by Helen Epstein with the author


texts: How to use the word 'poise' properly with or without 'is' (to be) (and when with or without)?

texts:
(1) For example (from https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poise):

  I poised the crowbar in my hand, and waited.

vs.

  The rock was poised precariously on the edge of the cliff.

(2) Or another ones:

  he poised motionless on his toes

vs.

  The true gentleman is subtly poised between an inner tact and an
  outer defense.

What is the difference in meanings in (2)? Is the last one correct?


texts: One of the soldiers heads off to relay information - head off - meaning

texts:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-field-troops-prepare-assault-donetsk-200929804.html

  A group squeezed into an old Lada car returns from a reconnaissance mission. One of the soldiers heads off to relay information.

What does that mean in this context?


texts: About the use of non-defining participles

texts:
Is it me, or is the use of the participles questionable in the following sentences?
(1) [ injuring ]
The FBI is investigating the shooting of a military helicopter during a training mission this week in northern Virginia, injuring one crew member who was aboard, officials said Wednesday.
I know the logical subject of "injuring" is "the shooting," which is the object of the verb "investigate" in the main clause. Is it acceptable to use a non-defining participle in this way, which might cause the confusion that it was FBI, the subject, that caused the injury?
I think it would make more sense to just drop the comma before "injuring," as in:
The FBI is investigating the bombing of a building injuring at least 100 people.

(2) [ causing ]
The initial findings of the investigation show that the helicopter was struck by a bullet, causing some damage to the aircraft, though it landed safely, the Air Force said.
Compared to the first one, this is more acceptable. Right?

The sentences are from a news report:
https://www.1011now.com/2020/08/12/fbi-investigates-shooting-of-military-helicopter-in-virginia/?fbclid=IwAR04HyaQqbcm6zBJP4xwFyPLtgKtUgGe6jZdteIVWyN0Z1aCyfwNIkU4lCk


texts:
How do I say the exact same without using 'of' three times?

  This video contains a lot of footage of well-known events of the last 80 years.


texts: Placing words between the preposition and object, like "by not only this" vs "not only by this"

texts:
Is there any change in meaning if you put some words before the preposition or place them between the preposition and object?

1: You can reach the place not only by walking but also by a bus. vs
2: You can reach the place by not only walking but also by a bus.

or

3: You can write not only with a pencil but also with a pen. vs
4: You can write with not only a pencil but also with a pen.


texts:
She's just like a guy I know. Only, he didn't get a small practice bike He bought a fucking Harley-Davidson, despite having never rode a bike.

Is it actually like "Not only did he get a small practice bike..."?


texts: "Half joked, half scolded" or "half-joked, half-scolded"?

texts:
I'm confused because I see both versions on Google Books.

Example sentence:

  "Hey, no eavesdropping next time, you hear?" she half(-)joked, half(-) scolded.


texts:
This is a simple question concerning undefined articles usage. I have a doubt if the an should be used when the next word to it starts with vowel, or it is related to the noun.

I though it was related the the following word, if I used an adjective as the sentence:

undefined article old man

would be:

an old man

not:

a old man

But I saw in this site that the author writes: An RE (which means Regular Expression) what made question it.

How the an and a usage works?


texts:
From an article in the New York Times:

  Whatever the reason, Mr. Quayle remains an unknown quality to almost half of the electorate, despite [...]

And from a New York Times blog post:

  The Huskers (30-1) enter the N.C.A.A. tournament as an unknown quality to most fans.

Yes, I know, the following question might be Not A Real Question, but I'm under the impression that unknown quality doesn't fit the meaning of the above sentences.

Yes, and always in the case I'm right, two sentences quoted from The New York Times are not enough to get definitive conclusions, but is there some common problem among English speakers in confusing "unknown quality" with "unknown quantity"?