texts:
As I mentioned, english is my second language. I'd say I'm intermediate at reading, writing and speaking basic english. But I have a very limited vocabulary. So I'm learning new words. From another question on this site, I found vocabulary.com which is somewhat helpful.

My question is if I encounter an unfamiliar word, say while reading something, do I just look up the word in the dictionary and move on? I doubt the I'll learn the word like this even if I'm stumbling on the word frequently. Should I memorize the definition of the word? Also many words have multiple meanings, which makes it difficult to remember all of them. Also from a couple of sources, I was suggested that I should remember the word as it is and not translate it in my native language. What would be a good strategy for me?


texts: "He asked me where I lived" vs "He asked me where I had lived"

texts:
What is the difference between the statements?

  He asked me where I lived

OR

  He asked me where I had lived.

How to know which suits best under what circumstances?


texts:
I apologize for the simple question.

We have the text:

  We will close this ticket, please reopen it or create new one if anything will be unclear or if you will have more questions.

But in my opinion it should be create a new one instead of create new one after taking a look at this post also.

Am I right? Which one is grammatically correct?

Thank you for your interest and time.


texts: does "full form" refers to "a whole body" in this context? does "chiefly" refers only to "raps" or not?

texts:
does "full form" refers to "a whole body" in this context?

  Her mediumship consisted chiefly of raps (often of great power),
  spirit lights, direct writing, and the appearance of materialized
  hands. Full form materializations, which had been an occasional
  feature of her sittings in America, were rare with her in England. On
  a number of occasions objects in the séance-room were moved by spirit
  agency, and in some cases brought from another room.

from http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301051h.html


texts: Different Nuance between Quit Looking (verb-ing) vs Stop Looking (verb-ing)

texts:
I began to wonder what is the different nuance between using "Quit" and "Stop"

  Quit looking at the police officer like that, that's rude.

or

  Stop looking at the police officer like that, that's rude.

Which one that a native English speaker would use or widely used in their daily life ?


texts: Determiners in English sentence. Is it ok to say?

texts:
Do I need any determiners in the sentence below in general statement?

  Strong winds destroy homes.

Is it ok to say in English in specific situation?

  The strong wind destroyed the homes in North Carolina.

I mean mostly the determiners in this sentence.


texts: Should I put the in "Oak in the field" sentence?

texts: Let's say I have a photo of oak in field. I don't know anything about this field. Should I name photo "Oak in field", "Oak in a field" or "Oak in the field" and why ?


texts: difference between the phrases " make up to someone" and " make it up to someone "

texts: Is there any difference between the meaning of make up to someone and make it up to someone?


texts: Is it syntactically and semantically correct to say "Too many open windows."

texts:
As a response to a complaint about the coldness of a room if we reply with saying "Too many open windows."  will it be syntactically and semantically correct?
Or do we need to say "Too many opened windows." to be syntactically correct?
Thanks in advance.


texts:
I was reading a few sentences and I couldn't understand 'In any absolute sense' here. Could anyone please explain to me what it means?

In any absolute sense I would not rate this place 4/5. It is somewhat dated: the bathroom fixtures in my room were not great, and the fitness room is bare-bones.

"It is paradoxical, yet true, to say, that the more we know, the more ignorant we become in the absolute sense, for it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations. Precisely one of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects."

I think this is the right answer - they can have arrived by now is idiomatically unlikely, but it's certainly not "incorrect" in any absolute sense.

Please explain to me what in any absolute sense means here in above examples.

Thank you.


texts:
As an example of the role of context in classification of a node, suppose a user wants to remove the navigation links in the sidebar section. To accomplish this task, they may define a rule to eliminate parts of the page that have high link density.

Can an example be mentioned like this? besides, I don't know if I should say parts of page, the parts of the page, parts of the page....


texts: The use of "over" in "saw someone over the garden"

texts:
Over (preposition):

  Extending above (an area) from a vantage point. (Definition by Lexico Dictionary)

Sentence:

  I went out in the balcony and saw a dark-haired, rather thin guy over the garden.

Is the use of "over" in the above sentence correct?


texts:
I'm a little confused about the proper usage of Far and Far Away.

For example, if a friend asks me to go out with him for dinner and I want to tell him that I cannot go very far from where I am right now - without having to refer to my current location - how will I say it?

Direct translation from my language would be something like: I can't go very far.

Also, please give a few examples to explain the use of Far and Far Away.


texts:
I made the sentence like this. The sentence is 'Come out into the world'
Somebody always stayed at home because he doesn't want to make friends.
And his mom said "Come out into the world. Make a good friend."
Does the sentence 'Come out into the world' make sense?


texts: Are "will you be around" and "will you be present" the same?

texts:
Consider these expressions:

We are organizing a cultural event X on tuesday at place Y, will you guys be around?
I am thinking of coming to your place this weekend, will you be around?

Is the use of "will you be around" correct here?

Are the meanings of "will you be around" and "will you be present" the same in this context?


texts: Grammar doubts about dedication and aknowledgements sections of my thesis

texts:
I know proofreading is not allowed. Just have some specific questions. It's a dedication and aknowledgements sections of my thesis.

Are these expressions common in English? I just did a direct translation from Spanish:

'since they had enough patience to teach me'
'and having a curiosity-driven personality'
'enough to win my affection'

Thanks!

DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to the people that contributed to my education, since they had enough patience to teach me and motivated me to find out more.

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First person I would like to thank for her work is my mentor Virginia Aragon, for being outstandingly clever and creative, having also a great intuition.

My committee members: Dr. Marcelo Gottschalk, Florencia Correa Fiz, and Alex Olvera van der Stoep, for being interested in my dissertation and having a curiosity-driven personality. Hope this work meets your expectations.

My great friends and people I met in CReSA, with their simple and conventional style but at the same time a charismatic personality, enough to win my affection. Also to the people from the university for making these four years a very pleasant stay in Barcelona.

To my family and girlfriend Elena. They are wonderful and permitted me to enter and discover the word of science.


texts:
"But,--sir,--I'm very sorry," said Gluck, hesitatingly; "but--really,
sir,--you're--putting the fire out."
"It'll take longer to do the mutton, then," replied his visitor drily.
Gluck was very much puzzled by the behaviour of his guest; it was such a strange mixture of coolness and humility. He turned away at the string meditatively for another five minutes.

The above is from "The King of the Golden River" by John Ruskin.
I can't figure out what 'at a string mean'.


texts: possessive needed? ...."to impact patients' lives by...."

texts:
Is a possessive needed on the word patients in the following mission statement? I feel it clutters the phrase somewhat and need advice.

  To meaningfully impact patients' lives by democratizing entertainment, educational tools, and social content through....


texts:
For a small handful of people, that dot on the horizon is a place called home.

or

  For a small handful of people, that dot at the horizon is a place called home.

What is the difference?


texts:
There is a proverb with meaning "although the resource is almost empty, we still try to get something from it, regardless of that our attempts are most likely meaningless". I recall that I've heard a saying "squeezing out of a dead man" in this case, but now this sounds a bit weird and I can't google any examples.

Is there any proverb which can be identified by my explanation?


texts:
This is what I hear from a voice in TOEFL exam:
" ... If they start cutting back the meals and we can't get what we want here on campus, well, we are going to go off campus and pay off-campus prices. And you know what? That'll be expensive. Even if it's only two or three mornings a week, it can/can't add up."
Which one is correct? can or can't?


texts: "had not done" vs "did not do" in a sentence

texts:
At last, yesterday I listened to this radio show, although I did not do it before because I was busy.

  At last, yesterday I listened to this radio show, although I had not done it before because I was busy.

Which one is the best? I think both are correct perhaps past perfect is better
even if before indicate clearly the order of the event.


texts: "Simple Past" "Past Perfect" "Present perfect"

texts:
Please help me to choose the right answer.

You and your friend are approaching an old restaurant..

1) Which is still open and running. You stare at the restaurant and your friend says "what is it"? You say...

"I worked here for years"
"I have worked here for years"
"I had worked here for years"

2) Which is abandoned now.You stare at the restaurant and your friend says "what is it"?
You say...

"I worked here for years"
"I have worked here for years"
"I had worked here for years"

3) Which is on fire now.You stare at the restaurant and your friend says "what is it"?
You say...

"I worked here for years"
"I have worked here for years"
"I had worked here for years"

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Long long ago in the dense forest lived a lion.

OR

  Long long ago in the dense forest there lived a lion.

Are the both correct?


texts: what's the cut line between future predictions and future intentions?

texts:
he's sick. he's going to see a doctor.

I don't know is it a prediction or intention? I need a crucial point to differentiate between the two ideas.


texts: Is "with a decade of solid experience" correct?

texts:
In the following sentence I wonder if with correct or I should use having or a better alternative?

  I am a web developer with/having a decade of experience in
  web technologies.


texts: Can past tense come after present lexical verb? ("Are clothes sold?", "We are paid.")

texts: Can past tense come after present lexical verb?  Is it correct to put past tense at the back of 'ARE', e.g "are clothes sold cheaply over there", or "we are not paid yet"?


texts:
Is "would" incompatible with "I'm not sure"?
If so, do you know why?

A: Where's John now?

B: I'm not sure. He would be at home now.

A: When will John come back?

B: I'm not sure. He would be back by seven.


texts: Is "milk is more preferable to tea" grammatically correct?

texts:
Is it grammatically correct?

  Milk is more preferable to tea.

I think preferable in itself is an absolute adjective so more preferable does not make any sense
but if it is correct please give me more details


texts:
The truth is that I loved him and I stood by
him and he sent me to you,
like he would send a stagehand
to pick up his shirts.

What is the usage of would in this sentence?

I think would is only used in conditionals, requests, things you used to do , future from the past view. But I cannot understand why it is used there because it seems like it is tenseless.

It is an dialogue from 2007 movie "The Prestige".


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence 'bouncing on the balls of her feet.'?

texts:
I'm reading 'Harry Potter'

"You do not usually take this class, is that correct?"
"Quite correct," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, hands behind her back and bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I am a substitute teacher standing in for Professor Hagrid."

What is the meaning of this sentence 'bouncing on the balls of her feet'?
and I don't konw what 'ball' is? baseball? football?


texts: I would like to know which one is preferable, or are both possible? It is raining now but this morning the sun was shining brightly or it is raining now but this morning the sun shone brightly.


texts: Are parts of speech sharply defined categories? Can a single word be included in different parts of speech?

texts:
I have been trying to figure out how words are categorized into parts of speech. The way I understand it, words can only be included into various parts of speech depending on their meaning and usage in a sentence. So It's not possible to figure out what category a word falls into just looking at the word rather you have to put them into a sentence. Words like act, laugh, attack etc. can be both verb and noun at the same time inspected in isolation.
But it turns out that even analysing a sentence cannot determine what category they fall into. See the example John Lawler gives in this related question: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/388099/how-many-parts-of-speech-can-a-word-be-at-the-same-time

I was exhausted.
I was exhausted and the bed was soft; we suited each other well.
I was exhausted by the irritable conversation and left early.

"But that's not "in the same sentence". In the first sentence, there's
just no way to know what the speaker intends about POS; it could be
either one. And there's no way to know if one speaker might feel it
was an adjective, but another speaker might think it was a participle.
Or the same speaker might do both, to the same sentence, on different
occasions."

Here the word exhausted is both a participal adjective and a verb at the same time. But can't you say that the adjective("exhausted") was formed from the verb exhaust and so the word here is "primarily" a verb which can act as an adjective. Wouldn't this allow us to put the word "exhaust" and "exhausted" into a primarily verb category? This is in some sense a word formation analysis to determine what the essence/category of a word is.
But one another sentence where this technique doesn't happen to work is:

"It is light."

You can see that "light" works here both as a noun(as in "bright light") and an adjective(as in: "That bag is light") but I can't seem to find a primary meaning to the word which I think would require a historical analysis of the word formation to categorise. I am not even sure if this a proper technique to categorise these words and it feelslike I am shoehorning words here into exclusive categories.
In short:
Are parts of speech really sharply defined exclusive categories where a single word (when analysed within a sentence) falls into a single group or are they heterogeneous categories where words get shared within parts of speech categorizations?
Update:
Adding some pointers if someone stumbles on this question in the future.
On further inquiry, I came to know that this problem is documented as Intersective Gradience:
https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Oxford_Dictionary_of_English_Grammar/9zVOCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA184&printsec=frontcover&bsq=Gradience
Also see Bas Aarts' Syntactic Gradience for a thorough take on the issue, By the end of his book there is a section on true hybridity which is approachable and could give you a clearer picture on the issue:
https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/_/pN5zQgAACAAJ?hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizjpyDlcrtAhVSyzgGHc-FDvMQre8FMBF6BAgLEAM
A brief intro to Gradience: https://www.thoughtco.com/gradience-language-term-1690906


texts: What does the phrase "clunk open latches and clack switches" mean here?

texts:
In the game you’ll clunk open latches and clack switches on doodads to reveal ever more elaborate mysteries.

Source: a description (offline text) of the game Old Sins.
Please help me understand the meaning of the phrases "clunk open latches" and "clack switches".


texts: Is it right to say, "I was wondering if you would be sleeping"?

texts:
Or should it be, "I was wondering if you were sleeping"?
Also is it right to say, "I was worried you would be sleeping and opening the main door would disturb you"?


texts:
I was on the boat, floating in the river.

Here the task of floating indicates what I was doing, i.e I is the subject of participle phrase.
floating is not indicating boat, because a comma has been placed before floating.

  I was on the boat floating in the river.

Here floating indicates the boat, not I, because no comma has been used before floating.

Is it a condition that, without a comma, a participle or a participle phrase will indicate the noun, when a participle/participle phrase is placed just after that noun?

Let's consider the following sentence:

  Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species.

Here accompanied has been placed just after an oxidant, and no comma has been placed before accompanied. Is accompanied modifying just an oxidant? Or is it modifying both a fuel and an oxidant? Sometimes it seems to me that accompanied is describing neither a fuel nor an oxidant. It is modifying the sequence, but I'm not sure. It is confusing to me to understand to which a participle is indicating, when no comma is used.

I cannot understand when only one noun is modified, when more than one are modified, and when whole clause is modified by a participle or a participle phrase.

Now I want suggestion from the members of this forum. It is not necessary to use my examples to give solution of my problems. You can use any example that is convenient for you.


texts: A proverb / an expression to imply: "One can manage their own affairs"

texts:
Is there any idiom / expression or proverb in English which can imply the situation that someone can manage their own affairs in rather severe conditions?

For instance,

  a) I'm going to go abroad for a while? Perhaps England!
  b) Well! Do you know English well?
  a) I can manage my own affairs.
  a) Mom, I have made my decision! I've decided to live alone and rent an apartment for myself!
  b) So can you afford it son?
  a) I can manage my own affairs.

In my language, there is a proverb which conveys the same message in both cases above and so many other similar cases, but I don't have any idea which expression or idiom or perhaps proverbial phrase can do the same thing!

Some English equivalents that I have found in translation pages are as below:

  I can shift for myself.
  I can fend for myself.
  I can get along by myself.
  I can paddle my own canoe.

I don't know if they work in this sense of natural English! If they are alright, please let me know; otherwise, please tell me how shall I indicate the meaning in my question in a natutural and idiomatic way.


texts:
I wrote:

  For example, in most shopping websites (the) price and shipping details fields are in a product's information and can be used to identify a product item.

Do I need "the" before price? why?
I think as each product has one price then I must use "the". Right?


texts:
I'm interested in finding out whether additionally, besides that, and besides are interchangeable in the following.

  There will be a five-percent raise across the board. Additionally/Besides that/Besides, all staff will receive an extra five days’ leave a year.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Difference between "estimate" and "estimates"

texts:
There are estimates by analyst in this page.

In the data table there are "High Estimates", "Low Estimates" and "Mean Estimate".

Somehow with "mean", the word "estimate" is used in singular.
I don't understand why we can't use "High Estimate" or "Mean Estimates".

Could someone explain why?


texts: on Thursday afternoon vs Thursday afternoon

texts:
Are both the following sentences acceptable/grammatical?

We met on Thursday afternoon until 5 pm.

We met Thursday afternoon until 5 pm.


texts: I don't know what 'straight' functions as, in "set someone straight"

texts:
Don't worry, I set him straight on this matter.

I'd like to know what 'straight' functions as.
Does it function as being an adverb, or an adjective?

I don't know which is well fit to interpret the sentence correctly, because both seem to be fine for me to adjust to the sentence, regardless of whether it is an adverb or an adjective.

However thinking about the sentence, there seems not much difference in meaning whether it is used adverbly or adjectively.

A similar problem goes by 'right'

  They never get the facts right

In this case as well, regardless of how it is used, both seem to be interpreted perfectly.

However, on the whole, I think they might be used adjectively to complement the objects.


texts:
I've come across this sentence:

  [...] I've spent my all life making people happy when all they did was leave.

Shouldn't it be "To leave" or something?


texts: What does Warren Buffet mean by "Borders on Lethargy"?

texts:
I was reading about an investing on this webpage.
As I expected, the webpage mentions Warren Buffet and quotes,

  His investment style, Buffet says, "borders on lethargy"

What does the author mean by "borders on lethargy"?

Here is the context of the above quote.

  Warren Buffett runs America’s biggest conglomerate, Berkshire
  Hathaway. So you’d figure that America’s second-richest man would
  spend his time developing strategies, new ideas and products.

  But is Warren Buffett really busy? Well, Warren Buffett says he "tap
  dances to work." And once there, he "expects to lie on his back and
  paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling."

  His investment style, Buffett says, "borders on lethargy." He buys
  large stakes in companies that he holds onto for decades — allowing
  for the miracle of tax-free compounding to ramp up his returns.


texts: Meaning of "There is no god and we are his prophets."

texts:
What does this mean?

  There is no god and we are his prophets.

This quote is spoken by Ely from the novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I don't understand how this works.


texts:
An Iranian woman due to be put to death for killing a man she said was trying to sexually abuse her is reported to have had her execution postponed.

I would like to ask about the word due in the sentence above. Does it function as the adjective or preposition there? Can I rewrite the sentence without the change of the meaning in this way: An Iranian woman who is facing the death penalty for killing a man she said was trying to sexually abuse her is reported to have had her execution postponed.


texts: Is "He spoke about that afternoon for days to come" a correct sentence?

texts:
The Longman Dictionary has a sentence:

  He spoke about that afternoon for days to come.

It struck me as odd, because it seems to me "for years/days to come" can only refer to time in the future. There's several other sentences on the same page:

  Alice knew then that my father would haunt her for years to come.

  The responsibility was going to haunt him for years to come.

These two sentences sound perfectly fine to me, because they both look into the future from a reference point in the past, whereas the first sentence "He spoke about that afternoon for days to come" is talking about an event that happened in the past. Is it grammatical and natural?


texts: Is there any difference between "throw someone" and "throw someone off" in the sense of confusing?

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference  between throw someone and throw someone off in the sense of confusing? For example:

The interviewer's question threw me. I didn't know how to answer it.
The interviewer's question threw me off. I didn't know how to answer it.


texts: Meaning of the phrase tossed upon life's billow

texts:
What is the actual meaning of the phrase tempest-tossed upon life's billow.
Does it has the same meaning with dogged by misfortune
Letterstodaxton


texts: Meaning of "Over the balance of something" in "You'll be subjected to hearing new information over the balance of the semester."

texts:
Example:

  I would like to close with just a few remarks on the question, "Why study
  classical mythology? Why study the marginally incoherent tales of some people
  who have been dead going on three thousand years, now. What does this have to
  do with me?" I have a lot of reason. You'll be subjected to them over the balance
  of the semester. But the image I keep coming back to: If you can imagine. You've
  all applied to Southwest Missouri State University. You've all gotten paperwork
  from Southwest Missouri State University. You can all probably, by now, close
  your eyes and see the official logo of Southwest Missouri State University, which
  is the portico—the front porch if you will—of Carrington Hall.

What exactly does that mean? I looked up the word balance in the dictionary, but couldn't find the meaning that would fit the semantics exactly.


texts: How to use rather when a situation already happened

texts:
This question:

  Who would you rather be elected?

may elicit the following answer (not sure if it's grammatically correct):

  I'd rather have A win

but supposing that the elections are already over and we have a president elect, if I were talking with a friend and  wanted to ask him who he thinks should've been elected using a rather construction, how should I formulate the question? Is it right if I say "Who would you rather had been elected"?


texts:
It's here in this old radio play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOr3VaEqoDI&feature=share&list=UUJJ-L-Gxh432qktFvkFV6VA

at 1:53

The man says: "Easy does it."

What does that mean?


texts: Could we form commands with "we, he, she, it, they & you don't": "we/they do it", "he/she open the door", "You don't do it"?

texts:
According to Cambridge grammar

  We use imperative clauses when we want to tell someone to do something
  (most commonly for advice, suggestions, requests, commands, orders or
  instructions).

  We can use them to tell people to do or not to do things. They usually
  don’t have a subject – they are addressed to the listener or
  listeners, who the speaker understands to be the subject. We use the
  base form of the verb:

  Have fun.

  Enjoy your meal.

  Stop talking and open your books.

  For emphasis, we can use you in an imperative clause:

  [a student and a teacher]

  A: Can I leave the room?

  B: No. You stay here.

  In negative imperatives of this type, you comes after don’t:

  Maria, don’t you try to pay for this. I invited you for lunch and I
  insist on paying.

  We can also use words like someone, somebody, no one, nobody,
  everyone, everybody, especially in speaking:

  Somebody call a doctor. Quick!

  Everybody sit down, please.

So, we often form commands with "you", "somebody" or "everybody", etc, for example, "You close the door", "Somebody call a doctor", "Everybody sit down".

But, Could we form commands with "we, he, she, it, they", for example, "we/they do it", "he/she open the door" (no "s" after "open" because it's not the simple present)?

And, could we form negative commands with "you don't", for example, "you don't open the door"?


texts: What was your name vs. What is your name?

texts:
Quite often when I am talking over phone with some customer service representative, if they'd need to ask my name again they'd go like
What was your name?
Similarly I heard my teacher asking another student, who was just about to leave the class room, Did you want to stay for another English class? I don't get why is he using past tense to mean if the student wants to stay now or not. In the former situation it sound like if I had changed my name and they are asking what was my old name.
So, why do some native speakers use past tense to mean present tense?


texts:
I posted the question about the sentence below what 'had' means in this sentence.

  One individual had a bullet as a child go right through the left temporal lobe.

Thanks to stangdon, I got it that here 'had' means 'experienced'. see the details

But I have another question... about 'go'

Why is the speaker saying bare verb 'go'?
If the sentence is rewritten, how it could be?

Here is the video including the sentence above.


texts: Should 'his' or 'him' be used in this sentence?

texts:
Up till now it seems that you have been experiencing his emotions, and sharing his thoughts, without his being any the wiser.

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The reason why I ask is that I saw another example from Collins dictionary, which uses 'you' instead of 'your'.

  We could have stolen the original from the warehouse without you being any the wiser.

So, I'd like to know if both 'his' and 'him' can work in this phrase? And any reasons?


texts: In the context of sexual performance, what's correct? 'On bed' or 'In bed'

texts:
The context is clear - sexual performance. Which one is preferred and why?

  [I am | You are | He is | She is] so good on bed.
  [I am | You are | He is | She is] so good in bed.


texts:
Usage example with a context:

  Comparing this to the previous result table DISTINCTROW A1 emphasizes the fact that, even though the second and third rows of tblNewA are identical in values, they are different rows, so they both contribute to the final result table. If we were to replace the DISTINCTROW keyword with the word DISTINCT, then the result table would have only one row, since then it is the values in each row that form the basis for comparison.

I'm at a loss as to how to understand that phrase. If then is removed, the sentence makes perfect sense.


texts: What is equivalent to a "midterm" if it happens at 1/3?

texts: An event that occurs halfway through is referred to a midterm event. Like a midterm exam. What if it occurs at 1/3 of the time, or at 2/3.


texts:
Please tell me if the following sentences are the same or not?

  It is ten o’clock. They must have arrived now.

  It is ten o’clock. They must have arrived by now.

Are they same? If not, then please tell me what the difference between them is.


texts: What do you call the conical end of a ballpoint pen?

texts: You know the conical end of a ballpoint pen that holds the ball inside the end of the conical shaped end of the ballpoint? Is there a name for the conical end? I am thinking it has a name, but I never learned what the name was. Does it also come with several names? If it's the case, what are they?


texts: Use "Thus" as the meaning "in the manner now being indicated or exemplified"

texts:
The Oxford dict. defines thus as "in the manner now being indicated or exemplified; in this way." as its second meaning. The example used in the dict. is "she phoned Susan, and while she was thus engaged, Charles summoned the doctor".

I don't understand this example. Could you explain me "thus" based on this example? More examples are welcome.


texts: "start to be built" or "be started to build" which is grammatically correct?

texts: Which is grammatically correct, "The castle started to be built" or "The castle was started to build"?


texts:
Should the Highlighted "was" in this sentence be "were" instead?

So the rules assigning each kind of virus to a given safety level were laxer than some might think was prudent.


texts:
Which one of the following two sentences is correct?

  When you were young you ought to learn good habits.

  When you were young you ought to have learnt good habits.

To me none of the sentences sound correct because both of them(ought to, ought to have) indicate present tense but the sentences is framed in the past tense.


texts:
I want to say:

  It is attempting to drink sea water when you feel extremely thirsty,
  but doing it will only kill you.

Here by saying attempting to I would like to emphasize the feeling that "can not refuse to try"... But I am not sure by using attempting is the right word or right way.


texts:
I wrote:

  Treebanks may be developed based on any linguistic grammar or for any specific application.

Instead of "any specific application" should I use "for a specific application"? what is the difference?

As another example:

I may use a spoon for a specific purpose
I may use a spoon for any specific purpose
I may use a spoon for any purpose


texts: Is "There were hundreds of students, not much of whom were girls" correct?

texts: Is the sentence " "There were hundreds of students, not much of whom were girls" correct?   Can we use much instead of many in these structure.


texts: Present perfect sentence with past reference

texts:
I learned that it is incorrect to reference a time in past when using present perfect sentence such as this is wrong:

I have seen this car when I was a child.

So, I wondered how can the following be right?

I have just bought a car which I wanted to buy as a child.

Or, is it not right?


texts:
Can I use "do well with something" to mean "someone is getting better at something"?

For example:

A person doesn't follow rules, but he tries hard and begins following the rules.

So he asks:

Am I doing well with rules?

Does this mean that the person is getting better at following the rules,or he's started following rules?

And if a person is not good at something but starts learning it and asks:

Am I doing well with crafting?


texts: "It has been on the news" vs. "it was on the news"

texts:
I'm trying to gain the full understanding of perfect tenses. Are my explanations about the sentence and the difference between using the Present Perfect instead of the Simple Past correct?

  It has been a tough day. [As opposed to "It was a tough day."]

This day still continues and new tough things may happen.

  It has been on the news. [As opposed to "It was on the news."]

The story (that is on the news) is still developing; new facts may appear, and the whole thing is not yet over.


texts:
Consider these examples:

  They are everywhere.
  There is food everywhere.

I used sentences like these a lot but lately I realize that everywhere is an adverb. What about those grammar rules that say "using adjective with linking verb" ?


texts: The difference between during a week and during the week

texts:
I thought that: "During a week" means any week and "During the week" means a specific week.

  1) What do you eat during a week? - (every week)
  2) What do you eat during the week you spend in Spain every year?

However, it seems to me that some people use "during the week" to mean "during a week".

Is it possible for "during the week" to mean "any week"?


texts:
"She had heard her beloved husband's words like in a nightmare ...  .
  When he had finished, Mary went to her kitchen, like a robot, to get their meal ready ...! She was numb and couldn't feel or think anything!
  (to be continued ...)"

  [Source: Mary Maloney  english]

Would past simple be better in that case "When he finished", can't see a good reason to use it unless the author wants to emphasize the completed action although"finish" by definition refers to a completed action


texts: Should "distribution" be prefixed with "the"?

texts:
In the following sentence, should I mention article 'the' in front of distribution?

  Evidence shows that there is a huge difference in the distribution of these problems between high and low-middle income countries

Here it is talking about specific distribution i.e. visual impairment and blindness.
Is it correct?


texts: He worries more [than is necessary]. Is 'than is necessary' a relative clause?

texts:
He worries more [than is necessary].

Might I trouble you to tell me whether or not 'than is necessary' is a relative clause modifying 'more'?


texts:
I've come across a sentence that looks like this:

Years wore on and the eagerly awaited end of the world still hadn't come.

I don't understand why there is "still" in the sentence or rather its meaning here.
For me past simple sounds better in the second part of the sentence.


texts: Is it correct to say 'word ending games'?

texts:
Is it correct to say word ending games? If so how to understand the order of this phrase? Is is games ending with words, or words ending in a games? Do they sound only same to you?

I am trying to understand if what goes before gerund can be the activer at some case, not as a usual, the later is the activer.


texts:
When it was my birthday I made a big cake for all my coworkers.
I'm at the bottom of a big company. There is a lot of different functions in the company, though most of the employees work at a computer. If I'm referring to everyone at the company, is it correct and natural to use "coworkers"?
When I search on Google there is way more hits for "for all my colleagues" than "for all my coworkers".


texts: What's this kind of periodical with harder, superior writing called?

texts:
To improve my critical reading and thinking skills, I'm trying to find magazines/periodicals with these traits. Please advise as to what they're named, so that I know for what to search?

1. Style and quality of writing must be more sophisticated, intricate, pre-eminent style and quality of writing, but still readable, lucid, and enjoyable. I want familiarity and acquaintance with this so that I'll better understand denser, more abstract writing in general, which I'll confront.

2. Topics should involve debatable global topics on general principles, so that I can learn about and evaluate equally strong, effective, cogent arguments on both sides. For example, I'm more interested in psychology, applied philosophy, law, economics, current affairs that affect someone in both North America and the UK. I want to avoid content on literature or politics (that relate only to a specific country).

3. I prefer US, UK, or Canadian, but the periodical can be weekly or even monthly, and not just daily.

I recognise the term 'broadsheet', but it doesn't depict the above, because The Telegraph and even The Guardian are biased. The Economist seems better, which isn't truly described by the aforesaid terms. My English needs cultivation, so I can't determine if The Spectator or the New Statesman fit?


texts: Why there is a word "does" in the first sentence and no "does" in the second?

texts:
What time does the plane arrive tomorrow?
Where the plane arrives?

Or one of this sentences is incorrect? (I'm not english-speaking person).


texts: 'Would like to buy' vs. 'would like to get': are they interchangeable?

texts:
Let's say I walk up to the cashier of a store / fast food joint and say

I would like to buy a pack of gum / bag of chips / soda / hamburger etc.
I would like to get a pack of gum / bag of chips / soda / hamburger etc.

Can I use both get and buy here?
I'm asking because I often see this phrase:

Can I get a pack of gum / hamburger etc.


texts:
Could anyone help me understand the meaning of this apparently idiomatic expression:

  "To step up to a broken promise."

I did not find it on the net. I'll appreciate it.


texts: The woman "with" a hat or the woman "wearing" a hat?

texts:
Which one is appropriate?

  The woman with a hat

  The woman wearing a hat

There are no links available for this question. I just wanted to make sure.


texts: I am not sure for next sentence using likely

texts: In 2040 Supercomputers are  likely to be 30 times more powerful


texts:
I was reading an article and something about tenses made me confused.

" Before then, I had never come across anyone who had stayed clean without using any drugs or alcohol. My only frame of reference had been junkies who fell into two categories: alive or dead."

My question is that why he is not using "had fallen" instead of "fell" like he did in the first sentence?


texts: Is an expression 'at the top of my lung' used very commonly?

texts: is it common to use an expresson  'at the top of my lung'  in english speaking countries? For example like 'I yelled at the top of my lung to get the attention of the man'


texts: Can't understand passage from a management book

texts:
Toyota became #1—the most consistent and achieving global automaker—because more company employees than not have believed and practiced what has been preached, from humility to going to the source. Consistent performance has been the fruit of that labor.

This is from the book How Toyota Became #1: Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car Company by David Magee.

Could someone simplify the selected part? I can't understand it.


texts:
Can someone give me clear rules when to use "what" and when "which" in case of sentences like " which/what "

Examples:

  "My access is arranged which/what saved a lot of time"

  "Studies have shown that strawberries contains X which/what have alarmed scientists"

  "I bought a car which/what will reduce my daily travel time."

Thanks.


texts:
We can change the encounter on next Sunday if you will have time.

I am not sure if in the above sentence "will" should be omitted. Not sure how the English grammar describes this kind of conditional sentence if it is conditional anyway.


texts: Is any article needed before the word "interpreter" in the following sentence?

texts:
I have asked this question on Grammarly.com too, but didn't get any answers.  English is not my first language and I'm trying to get better at it therefore I can't give much input or put my "research" here. Here is the sentence:

  Max had an opportunity to play the role of interpreter in an international film festival organised here.

Please explain if any article is needed or not.


texts: When to use "write" and when to use "write down"?

texts: I wrote "Write your phone number" and a native English speaker told me that I had to add a "down". Why is this? When should I add the down and when I shouldn't?


texts:
Can I use “has been” or “have been” if I’ve done something for a long time, and plan on continuing it in the future?

First example:

  I have been doing this for a week.

Does the above sentence imply that the work is completely finished after one week? Or, instead, is it used as an indication that the subject had worked for the entire week, yet still plans to continue their work sometime in the future?

Second example:

  I’ve been a part of this organisation for over a year.

Does the above sentence indicate that the person plans on resigning from the organisation after being a member of it for longer than a year? Or, rather, does it insinuate that the person had been a part of the organisation for more than a year, and plans on remaining a steadfast member in the future?


texts: When "he's gone" means "he's dead", is it a contraction of "he is" or "he has"?

texts:
I have seen this a lot in movies. When a man dies, another person goes near him, feels his pulse, and then says in a sad voice: "He's gone".

Is this a contraction of "he is gone", or "he has gone"?

I don't think it makes much sense to use the passive voice with the word "go", nor do I think "he has gone" could mean someone is dead (because it could also mean someone goes to another place and is potentially ambiguous).


texts: a 3-hour trip to work--determining the part of speech of "round trip"

texts:
I am wondering whether the following forms are all okay:

It was a 3-hour round trip to work.
It was 3 hours' round trip to work.
It was 3 hours round trip to work.

I'm sure #1 is correct. What about 2 and 3?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: "have problems V-ing" such as "...Students have problems preparing for the IELTS test." Why is that?

texts:
I don't know which page in the book "Practical English Usage" I can learn about the usage of "have problems V-ing".

I try to look this usage up in "Practical English Usage" (Michael Swan).

Because I do not understand a sentence like the following one.

  "Students find it so easy to blame others or complain about their difficult situation when they have problems preparing for the IELTS test."

The structure of the form "have problems V-ing" is not clear to me.

I hope somebody bring answers to these questions.

Is it correct to say

  "...have problems of preparing for the IELTS test."

or

  "...have problems to prepare for the IELTS test."?

or

  "...have problems to preparing for the IELTS test."?

What is the difference between those three sentences in meaning?

How do I look this usage up in "Practical English Usage" (Michael Swan)?


texts: Present Perfect - one auxiliary verb with two subjects

texts:
I'm trying to get rid of some gaps in my knowledge of Pre-Int. grammar, so I'm working with a PET course book. And I've discovered some confusing things in some quite easy tasks...

1) The task is to use Present Perfect:

  I ... (phone) my Granny and I ... (see) my cousins and I ... (say) goodbye to them.

My answer is:

  I've phoned my Granny and I've seen my cousins and I've said goodbye to them.

Well, due to the keys I'm wrong and it should be said instead of have said:

  I've phoned my Granny and I've seen my cousins and I said goodbye to them.

But why? I've searched for similar sentences and I've found a couple:

  I have seen and heard this many times anecdotally.
  I have seen and done a number of strange things.

Ok, it's clear here - we have only one subject, so something like "I've seen ... and said ..." is fine.

But in my example there are two subjects. So, is it still ok to use one auxiliary verb instead of two? What I want to understand is, is my sentence wrong or are they both possible?


texts:
I'm really confused which one to use?
1- Don't make a big deal out of it
2- Don't make a big deal of it
The second part : are the following sentence makes sense in terms of meaning and using the proper preposition ?
1-I heard about the product but I haven't make a trade/business of/out of  it.
2- I am out of hope (means I ran out of hope )
3- you should take a screenshot of/out of  it.


texts: What should be used after plural nouns. makes or make?

texts:
Which one of the following is correct?

  1) The things makes it look beautiful.
  2) The things make it look
  beautiful.


texts: What do we call the random profile pictures we get in online sites?

texts: Is there a term for "profile picture" which is given randomly to the users who join an online forum or social networking sites such as Hangouts and the very own Stack Exchange, where we get a random picture. Take an example of my profile picture of this site given below. What will we call it?


texts: Is the phrase "factor is because" a little bit wordy

texts:
An IELTS learning material website gives this response for question "Why did you choose that job"

  To be honest, I make a choice of this job with two main reasons. At first, I am in love with teaching English to children. Another factor is because my hometown lacks a lot of English teachers so it is easier for me to get a job here and live closely with my parents.

Is the phrase "another factor is because" a little bit wordy?

Is the following more concise?

  ... Another factor is the lack of English teachers in my hometown ...


texts: How to understand the meaning of this sentence?

texts:
Anionic surfactants, typically lignin sulphonates produced as a by-product of the Kraft paper making process, are used extensively. These large surfactant molecules, which are several orders of magnitude larger than any disperse dye molecule, adhere to and encapsulate the large dye pigment particle and form a stable dispersion.

If I omit "several orders of magnitude", and say "which are larger than .........", this sentence makes sense to me. But due to presence of "several orders of magnitude" makes this sentence awkward to me.

Please, help me to clarify this problem.


texts:
Ok, I know that in 2nd cond. you use simple past in your sentence and perfect past is used when saying that something had happened before something else happened, but is it correct to say this? :

If you realized while on your way to a concert that you had left the ticket in your living room, what would you do?

I instictively wrote that down because I was trying to communicate that the act of leaving the key happened before the act of realizing. But I'm not sure because I've never seen Perfect Past in a 2nd Cond. sentence before.


texts: Say or speak, which is the correct verb in the context?

texts:
What would be correct?

I'd like to say the first two paragraphs from the speech.
I'd like to speak the first two paragraphs from the speech.

It's not to be read out from a written sheet, please note; it's to be memory based. Any other verb which would more appropriate may also be suggested.


texts:
1 When I say "This is a pig's trough.", so is the word "a" describing or attached to "pig" or "trough"?

2 When I say "This is the pigs' trough.", so is the word "the" describing or attached to "pigs" or "trough"?

3 When I say "These are the women's wallets.", so is the word "the" describing or attached to "women" or "wallets"?

Thanks!


texts: What words would you use when referring to unfair hiring practices?

texts:
Something that happens mostly in government jobs. For example, I’m Mr. X, an important director of an organization or a minister, and I tell human resources to hire Mrs. Y—regardless of her actual competence—just because she has slept with me or she is a relative.
What is it called this practice?
What would you call the person hired this way?

thanks


texts:
I have many features that advance my changes to create a successful business in the future.

Is features correct here? Or there is something better?


texts:
Something like:

  It becomes like a spaceship.
  He becomes like a mad person.
  They become like intermediate objects.

Is "become like" valid english words?

If not, what's the better alternative for daily conversation?


texts: Using "in" and "during" in a sentence: "I expect to pass the exam in/during 5 months"

texts:
I want to write a sentence that says I may pass the exam after 3 ,4 or 5 months, but no more than 5 months, which one of those sentences is appropriate for that?

I expect to pass the exam during 5 months

I expect to pass the exam in 5 months.


texts: Is it grammatically correct and natural to say "don't be being rude!" when someone is being rude?

texts: Is it grammatically correct and natural to say don't be being rude! when someone is being rude? I have heard people say something like don't be messing with my camera! when someone is messing with the camera, which made me wonder whether people say don't be being something. If they do, could you tell me it it's common.


texts:
Who do you think I met/met with ?

Considering formal usage of English do we need to use preposition with with met in the above given sentence ? I tried to google about it but couldn't find anything reliable.


texts:
I wonder whether following sentence is grammatically correct?

  "It could have been that I wouldn't have been able to solve even one of these two problems, let alone both of them."

I'm talking here about a past exam that I took. It had 2 problems and I was able to solve both of them. What I'm trying to say is that it was by no means guaranteed that I would have been able to solve either of the 2 problems, and even less so that I'd solve not just one but both of them.

In general, I want to talk about a hypothetical in the past without the "if" conditional and by starting the sentence with "it could have been that...".


texts:
But so long as a lawyer may
  stay in the same place for decades, the firms have to confront the costs of
  a relaxed approach to pay and retention. They respond by making their associates compete and then showing most of them the door. It is another
  example of how economic forces can shape the space allowed to antieconomic norms; perhaps the norms themselves may be said to compete.

Source: p 157-158, The Legal Analyst, Ward Farnsworth

I guess that Definition 2 applies here, but how does this make sense? Here, I'm venturing that norms refers only to antieconomic norms, so how can [the same norms] compete with [the same norms]?


texts:
Paul has a mischievous look about him.
Is it means Paul looked around with a mischievous expression?


texts: “Rectangle with 3 straight lines” vs “rectangle using 3 straight lines”

texts:
How do the three sentences below differ in meaning, and which can be answered with 'yes'?

Can you draw a rectangle with 3 straight lines?

Can you draw a rectangle by using 3 straight lines?

Can you draw a rectangle using 3 straight lines?


texts:
joy noun (SUCCESS)

  › [U] UK informal success, action, or help:
  [+ -ing verb] Did you have any joy finding that book you wanted?
  We tried asking local libraries for information, but got no joy from any of them.

I noticed that the dictionary says that the word in question can take "ing" after it. How is this possible that a noun can take a verb which follows it? Are we supposed to treat "finding" as present participle which modifies the whole sentence? Like "Did you have any joy (while or in) finding that book you wanted?


texts:
1)
Is there a difference in meaning between "get in a habit of reading" and "get into the habit of reading"?

2)
I also want to make sure whether this is the idiomatic way to say this.

3)
Is it natural to say "the habit of reading" or it is preferred to say "the habit of reading books"

For example:

  I read for my children every night to help them to get into/in the
  habit of reading.


texts: many aspects of our educational system vs many of our educational system aspects

texts:
I have always thought of developing and changing many aspects of our educational system.

  I have always thought of developing and changing many of our educational system aspects.

These are two sentences I wrote and I have found (in web) that "aspect of" is always used.
Why it is not fine to write as the second sentence not the first?
What rule I miss here?


texts: Looking for correct/appropriate word which represents, it's not SLA Missed because the defined SLA time is not over

texts:
I am just trying to find the correct word for a particular scenario.

Three types of Service-Level-Agreement/SLA are available

SLA (Service-Level-Agreement)Meet
SLA (Service-Level-Agreement) Missed
Not SLA Missed because the defined SLA time is not over

I am looking for specific word for option 3. What should be the correct/appropriate word which represents, it's not SLA Missed because the defined SLA time is not over.


texts: Difference between What are they doing? vs What they are doing?

texts:
what are they doing?
  What they are doing?

What is the difference between these two? Both are correct?


texts:
I hope this question is not a duplicate because I reviewed other posts.
I just want to make sure that I have the right meaning in these specific examples.
If I was watching a movie portraying a technologically advanced device and I commented:

"This is not impressive for me."

This means I am comparing what I am watching to my knowledge, intellectual ability, etc, and I have come to the conclusion that is isn't that impressive. However, to someone of below my intellectual level, might say this is impressive for him.

However, if I commented:

"This is impressive to me"

This doesn't mean I am comparing or judging the work went behind that device, I am just saying this is impressive according to how it is being portrayed or it sounds/looks impressive.

Is that true?


texts: What is it called: a box of 24 beer cans or a package of 24 beer cans?

texts:
Look at this picture

There is a box and there are 24 cans of beer in the box.

What is it called: a box / package of 24 beer cans or a box / a package of 24 cans of beer?


texts: Can we use the word "lesser mortals" in an official usage? I am really concerned whether this word is a slang or an appropriate word.


texts:
Normally you say:

  they do

not:

  they does.

But normally they is plural, not singular. What happens if they is singular? Can you use say "they does" like you'd say "it does"?


texts: Confused about the correct use of in-text citations in essays

texts:
I want to write a couple of essays on different subjects which I don't know much about, and the first logical thing that comes to mind is that I should do some research on those specific essay-topics before writing.

Now, my question is, when writing, say, about psychology theories or any other types of scientific theories (which, for the most part, are not common knowledge), should I always cite the sources?

I mean, let's say I don't know anything about psychology theories, and I have to explain at least three of them in my essay. So I go and read different psychology articles, magazines, and books, and then, once I finally have a clear idea about these three theories, I proceed to write my essay, which might roughly look like this:

Introduction.

Body:

Paragraph1: According to the behavioral psychology...
Today, behavioral techniques are still widely used in therapeutic settings to help clients learn new skills and behaviors.

Paragraph2: Theories of development provide a...
understanding these theories can provide useful insight into individuals and society.

Paragraph3: Learning theories focus on ...
This is an interdisciplinary topic of interest that often draws upon information from psychology, education, instructional design, and other areas.

Conclusion.

Nevertheless, the problem with following the simple process I've described above is that all the content written in the body of my composition would not be based on my own ideas or experiences, but on all the information, explanations, and definitions I read while doing my research. And I think there's no point in writing an essay if you don't include your own ideas and only write about other people's discoveries and thoughts. However, what else can you do when you are writing about things that have already been explained by experts on the subject you are dealing with? It feels like reinventing the wheel.

It is this feeling of lack of originality that makes me think that I have to add an in-text citation of the sources whithin parentheses at the end of every body paragraph. I feel as if I had to do that in order to avoid plagiarism. For example:

Paragraph1: According to the behavioral psychology...
Today, behavioral techniques are still widely used in therapeutic settings to help clients learn new skills and behaviors. (Williams, 2015)

But then again it wouldn't make sense to write an essay where you have to attach an in-text citation to every paragraph you write lol, plus that there would be not only one source but at least three sources to cite for every paragraph--because when you read extensively on a subject you don't know anything about in order to understand it and be able to compose an essay about it, you are basically summarizing and paraphrasing from different sources--putting together all the information you learned about a specific topic--in your own words of course--to build one strong paragraph. So it is my understanding that, in this case, you also have to add a citation within parentheses acknowledging the sources, right? This is what confuses me.

I might be wrong about how and when to use in-text citations, but I gather that my problem with originality when planning and writing essays, especially scientific ones, stems from the fact that I know I won't be innovating. I will more likely just research the topic and then write about other people's (scientists') ideas, discoveries, and theories.

Maybe I just shouldn't write essays without having original points or ideas about the topic that can be supported with citations of some extra sources. But I don't know, I can't wrap my head around this problem with originality.

So, could you please give me some suggestions on how to go about writing original essays without having to add in-text citations to virtually everything because you feel that everything you know about the topic does not come from you, but from your research/reading of outside sources?


texts:
What does this phrase mean? I saw this phrase in the movie The Post, 01:44:13. (But i'm not sure if the spelling of the subtitle is correct.) Here is the context.

  All rise.

  The Honorable the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of the
  Supreme Court of the United States.

  All yea, all yea, all yea.


texts: What does "lock up the concession" mean?

texts:
Does it mean "He was allowed to own..."?

"Invest when others fear. Fugger made two massive bets that secured his fortune. The first was to bankroll Archduke Sigmund of Tyrol when it looked like Venice was going to take over the duchy. The dukes’ usual bankers refused to finance him. Fugger came forward and offered everything he and his friends and family could pull together. The duke settled with Venice. In return for his backing, Fugger locked up the concession for the largest silver mine on earth."

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/7-money-making-lessons-from-the-richest-man-who-ever-lived-2017-05-02?link=TD_marketwatch_home_page.83461b39d1bfc251&utm_source=marketwatch_home_page.83461b39d1bfc251&utm_campaign=circular&utm_medium=MARKETWATCH


texts: What is the difference between "being" and "having been" in this context?

texts:
Being a teacher, she likes children.
  AND
  Having been a teacher, she likes children.

What is the difference between these two?


texts: "Didn't use to get" or "Didn't used to get"?

texts:
I just made a minor grammar correction on Travel SE, and another user said the grammar correction was unnecessary.

The original text was

  Another factor--sometimes life happens and you can't fly. In the old days you could simply sell your ticket to someone else, now you either have to eat a hefty change fee or lose it outright. That's money in their pockets that they didn't used to get.

It was corrected to:

  Another factor--sometimes life happens and you can't fly. In the old days you could simply sell your ticket to someone else, now you either have to eat a hefty change fee or lose it outright. That's money in their pockets that they didn't use to get.

Was this grammatical correction an improvement?
Was the original text grammatically correct?
Is the edited text grammatically correct?


texts:
Canonical Post #1: When to Trust Your Grammar Checker

  This sentence looks right to me, but my grammar checker says it's wrong. I don't see any problem with it, so I'm not sure how to fix it. How can I tell where the error is?

This is a Canonical Post, written in an attempt to give an explanation for a problem learners encounter frequently. Our goal is to help you, so please, leave us a comment if anything is unclear or could be further explained. We welcome all feedback to help make Canonical Posts the best they can be!


texts: Is the usage of "subsequent" in "One or more subsequent EEGs were available for 21 patients." clear?

texts:
A locally interpreted EEG report from the first week of life was available for 20/23 patients; 11 showed burst suppression, 11 showed dysmaturity and/or focal findings, and 1 was normal. One or more subsequent EEGs were available for 21 patients.

Is the usage of "subsequent" in the above sentence correct?

One of my friends told me that here the word "subsequent" is not correct, because you initially take EEG scan for 20 patients, you cannot take subsequent scans for 21 patients and it will mislead readers.


texts: usage of "both" and the indefinite article a/an

texts:
She is a singer.
  She is an actress.

If I transform this sentence into "both--and" structure,
which one is better to use, the sentence #1 or #2?

  She is both a singer and actress.
  She is both a singer and an actress.


texts:
I saw one sentence.

By the end of 6th grade, student “A” will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days.
Student “B” will have read only 12 school days.

So the last sentence has something omitted and repetitive.
I mean, Student “B” will have read (the equivalent of) only 12 school days.


texts: What is the difference between "man" and "male", "woman" and "female" in English?

texts:
I have some examples as follows:

He is a man
He is a male
She is a woman
She is a female

What is the difference between "man" and "male", "woman" and "female" in this examples, and by extension, in other situations in English? Does they have the same meaning and can be replace for each other, right?


texts: Are "how long" and "how much time" the same?

texts:
which one is correct, coming from a pupil:

  How long do we have for / to do the exercise?"

or:

  "How much time do we have for this?"

I think that in the first question, the verb "have" does not have a clear object, "long" being an adjective not a noun, whereas "time" is clearly the object of have in the second question. Thanks.


texts: What is the difference between "could we" vs "could you"?

texts:
Sales clerk : Looking for anything in particular, sir?

  Harry : Yes, em, that necklace there, how much is it?

  Sales clerk : It's ￡270.

  Harry : Erm, all right, er, I'll have it.

  Sales clerk : Lovely! Would you like it... gift-wrapped?

  Harry : Yes, all right.

  Sales clerk : Lovely! Let me just pop it in the box. There!

  Harry : Look, could we be quite quick?

  Sales clerk : Certainly, sir！Ready in the flashest of flashes! There!

  Harry : That's great.

  Sales clerk : Not quite finished.

  Harry : Look I, I don't need a bag; I'll just put it in my pocket.

  Sales clerk : Oh, this isn't a bag, sir!

  Harry : Really?

  Sales clerk : This is so much more than a bag! Ooh!

  Harry : Could we be quite quick, please!

  Sales clerk : Prontissimo.

--

It's Lovely Actually clip.

Harry said to the sales clerk:

  "Look, could we be quite quick?"

In this part, I wonder why It's "we", not "you"?

Now the clerk was loitering over giving a ring to Harry.

Then shouldn't "we" be changed for "you"?


texts: Preposition choice: "There is no interest (from/by/of) A (in/for) B."

texts:
I want to say that "A" is not interested in a given thing "B".

I want to start my phrase with "There is no interest". I am forcing this limitation because I have no problems in saying it in the direct order (A is not interested in B).

To clarify possible misunderstandings: The one who shows no interest, who "doesn't care", is "A". The thing that is "put aside", "ignored", is B.

I am looking for something in the lines of:

(Ordering I) There is no interest (from/by/of) A (in/for) B.
(Ordering II) There is no interest (in/for) B (from/by/of) A.

1. What is the best / preferable / most common choice of prepositions?

2. What is the preferable / most common / most natural sentence ordering, among the two given above?

3. If the placeholders "A" and "B" are big sentences, is there a better choice to avoid misunderstandings? For example, if A = "the students that failed the test yesterday" and B = "studying math for the next couple of weeks".

Note: I know that this question on ELL.SE explains that the preposition "in" should be used. But (1) this only covers a part of my question and (2) somehow, especially because of this particular sentence order, I have a feeling that "for" also fits, and the linked question doesn't mention "for". For these reasons, I believe this is not a duplicate.

EDIT:

As @stangdon pointed out, and I actually agree, this way to construct the phrase might seem awkward and unnatural. A more natural construction, equivalent for my question, would be:

  I am impressed by the lack of interest (from/by/of) A in B.
  I am impressed by the lack of interest (from/by/of) the students that failed the test yesterday in studying math for the next couple of weeks.

The word "among" was suggested, but it fails if A is not a group of people, but a single person:

  I am impressed by the lack of interest (from/by/of) Hannah in going to the party.


texts: Can I use "the British" as a specific British person or persons?

texts:
A: The British person I met was very friendly.

  B: The British I met was very friendly.

  C: The British persons I met were very friendly.

  D: The British I met were very friendly.

Are B and D right?
  Can I use "the British" as a specific British person or specific plural British persons?

If so, is it the same with Chinese and Japanese?


texts:
I have some questions.
Please tell me these sentences are correct or not.

  1. I went to school after "eating" the bread
  2. I went to school after "I ate" the bread
  3. I went to school after "I have(or had?) eaten" the bread

And these change I to you.

  1. I left office after "you leaving" office
  2. I left office after "you left" office
  3. I left office after "you have(or had?) left" office

thanks, I added some more sentences.
If I want to say it in the future , is it correct?

  I will leave office after "your leaving" office
  I will leave office after "you left" office
  I will leave office after "you have left" office


texts: Is it always appropriate to omit the verb to be from a passive voice sentence?

texts:
I can replace

  A solution is needed urgently.
  Newer version has already been installed.

with

  A solution needed urgently.
  Newer version already installed.

Is this kind of omission always correct?


texts: "After being several episodes in" vs. "several episodes in"?

texts:
Which of the two sentences is grammatically correct?

  At first I thought that show was a cheap rip off of Friends, but several episodes in I started liking it.
  At first I thought that show was a cheap rip off of Friends, but after being several episodes in I started liking it.


texts:
I need to find a/an verb/idiom/expression to describe the situation that someone suddenly becomes too disappointed/cold in doing something they had planned to do.

Formerly, perhaps because of the word "cold", I used to utilize the idiom "get cold feet", but later, I found out that aside from the fact that most of the times, it is used for an important mater especially getting married,
it alludes to an occasion in which someone is frightened to do something, (not only getting cold/disappointed).

Example:

Well, please assume "young" boy who feels really down after a failure in his university entrance exam for the second time and now he's severely suffering from the situation he's in.

  Son: I failed the job entrance exam. I have to wait for another one whole year. I cannot even think about that for a second! That's a catastrophe.
  Dad: Be hopeful Jerry! You're my Son! Not only now, but you should never get cold feet.

I apologize if my dialogue does not sound that idiomatic to you! It was just a made-up scenario to convey the message in my question.

I wonder if the idiom "get cold feet" works in the above self-made case? If not, what would you say instead?

I doubt if the verb "get cold in something" works!


texts: Is "I grant you" more condescending than "I give you"?

texts:
I wonder if, for American native English speakers, it is more condescending to use "I grant you" than "I give you"? (I raised my question this way just to make it specific; I do not have a preconception about which one is more rude than the other.)
For instance, saying "I will grant you two weeks" versus "I will give you two weeks".


texts: Use of "and hence" for short conclusions

texts:
I wrote:

  Hydrochloric ions can influence the mutual solubility of IL and water and hence affect the extraction mechanism.

For several conclusions, I may use this construction. I would like to know how idiomatic is this structure, and what are other alternatives to use for such short conclusions in a sentence.


texts: 'Easy to be solved' versus 'Easy to solve'

texts:
a) This problem is easy to solve.
  b) This problem is easy to be solved.

Which sentence is more natural, a) or b)?


texts: Who do people ignore the word "how" at the beginning of a question? What should I do with it?

texts:
Example (https://www.quora.com/How-does-depression-kill-people) :

Question: How does depression kills people?

Answer:

  Yes,

  It effects quality of life very seriously, even up to death,
  common form is suicide.

Obviously, the answerer thought that the question was "Does depression kills people?"  Otherwise he would not start his answer with "yes". Besides, since he changed the paragraph and capitalized "it", probably "yes" was his answer.  It happens all the time.


texts: What is the difference between smudge and stain?

texts:
I got a stain on my shirt

or

I got a smudge on my shirt ?

Which is correct and why ?


texts: Pronunciation of English phonemes together to clearly say a word

texts: How are the individual English phonemes pronounced to make a whole word? How are they joined in speech to give correct pronunciation?


texts: What is the positive word for "not forgetful"?

texts: I want to say about someone that he is "not forgetful" or probably "easy to remember things, hard to forget". But I feel like it's too mouthful, and English probably has the term for this, but I don't know how to search for things like this. Can you help me what is the term for "not forgetful"? Thanks.


texts: How do you infer the right ellipsis for "... have different rights than others do"?

texts:
Source, at around 5:25: Justice John Paul Stevens with interviewer Stephen Colbert

  [1.] Some people have different rights than others do.

=> 2. Some people have different rights than others do have different rights.

I guess the meaning of 1 as: 3. Some people's rights differ from other people's rights.
I also guess that Justice Stevens is using verb phrase ellipsis. Yet completion of the ellipsis in 1 produces 2, which doesn't sound correct? So how does 1 mean exactly 3?


texts: A word for the condition in which someone believes themself to be inferior to everyone around them?

texts:
What is the name of the condition in which someone believes themself to be inferior to everyone around them? Specifically, what is Dr. Manette's problem in chapter 6 of A Tale of Two Cities? He thinks his name is "One Hundred and Five, North Tower" after being imprisoned for several years. Also, Dickens writes,

  In the submissive way of one long accustomed to obey under coercion, he ate and drank what they gave him to eat and drink, and put on the cloak and other wrappings, that they gave him to wear.


texts:
I have just read an example:

  Having nothing to do, he decided...

What meaning does HAVE in this case have? I mean, I get the meaning but it is not true possession.
The same question would I ask here:

  She has a lot of guys asking her phone number.

She does not own them, so what meaning would this be, ideally with a dictionary entry?


texts: What does the phrase "judge all you want to" mean?

texts:
I have come across the phrase in the TV show Friends. The context is Monica is critisized for her asking over the son of her former boyfriend to a Thanksgiving dinner.

  Fine! Judge all you want to but, (points to Ross) married a lesbian, (points to Rachel) left a man at the altar, (points to Phoebe) fell in love with a gay ice dancer, (points to Joey) threw a girl’s wooden leg in a fire, (points to Chandler) livin’ in a box!

Is that a reduction of you all can judge me if you want to?


texts: What does "the alternative side of things" mean?

texts:
In this video, I heard the following sentence:

He and I have always been on the alternative side of things, our views of what's going on in this world is a skewed one.

I looked up this phrase but didn't find any related entries. I'm also not sure if saying 'a skewed one' is correct here since the speaker was obviously describing their views which is a plural noun.


texts: Credulity versus Complacency in "The __ of the king in running the country..."?

texts:
The __ of the king in running the country motivated the parliamentarians to usurp the throne & execute him; hence Oliver Cromwell was named Lord Protector of the realm.

The sentence came in fill in the blanks. The options are--
a. Credulity
b. Complacency

I chose "credulity" as the answer because a king can be dethroned by his parliamentarians when he is gullible, has blind faith, over trustfulness, unworldliness,lack of experience, ignorance etc. That's when the parliamentarians dare go against the king. N those are exactly what credulity mean.

On the other hand, complacency means self satisfaction, laziness and unwilling to work.

Comparing the meanings I feel it'll be credulity. Because a king can't be dethroned just because he is too self satisfied and lazy. This word doesn't mean the king isn't intelligent enough to handle the parliamentarians. But credulity does mean gullible and that is a great opportunity to dare go against the king. As the king is ignorant, synonym of credulity, so the parliamentarians wanted to take the opportunity.

PLEASE explain in details of whatever you think is correct. I'm having real troubles with the sentence.


texts: How can I use do auxiliary verb in indirection question sentence?

texts:
Can we use do-auxillity verb in indirection question sentence.

For example, Is this right?

Why is the sky blue?-> Why the sky do blue? Or Why the water do exchange to air on 100 degree?


texts: An army of hackers put America's power grid in its sights - meaning of in its sights

texts:
Source: http://gizmodo.com/you-just-missed-a-massive-destructive-fake-cyberatta-1465317346

  What would happen if an army of hackers put America's power grid in its sights and pulled the trigger? How fast would the country descend into darkness? Would there be anarchy in the streets? Would people die? According to a war game carried out across the country this week, the answer is not necessarily good news.

I can't figure out the meaning of in its sights in this sentence.


texts: Structure of the phrase "For many's a year now"?

texts:
As mentioned in this question, I know that "many a year" is literary and equivalent to "many years".

But I stumbled upon this phrase:

  'For many's a year now,' he said, 'we've been running a source inside the police. [...]'

I suppose it has the the same meaning as above. But why is structured like this? What does that 's mean here?


texts:
I am adding a new (extraction) function to my program thus I am thinking to give it a better name.

The old extraction function is more structured, guided, & rigid.
The new extraction function breaks away from such restriction and will be more at will, or sometimes called free form.

Is there a shorter word for that? Function names are better short, but convey the precise meaning.

Thanks


texts:
An "about the author" section from a computer book:

  Michael Vine has taught computer programming, web design, and database classes at Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis, IN, and at MTI College of Business and Technology in Sacramento, CA. Michael has over 13 years’ experience in the information technology profession. He currently works full time in a Fortune 100 company as an IT Project Manager overseeing the development of enterprise data warehouses.

What is a Fortune 100 company?


texts: What verb or phrase do you use to say that a person get the job of another person by showing to the boss that they are better at the job?

texts:
What verb or phrase do you use to say that a person get the job of another person by showing to the boss that they are better at the job. In Ukrainian we use the verb підсидіти to communicate the idea. Can I use the verb replace. For example:

  Obviously Kate was better at doing the job than Mike, so she replaced him.


texts: Is "has been done" used if it's done recently?

texts:
Here is the question and I think it got wrong answer, isn't it?
As I said in the comment below the answer:
As I know present perfect used when action completed recently.
And Simple past when earlier in the past.
But the answer says the opposite.
I.e. I think "It has been done" if recently, and "It is done" if earlier.


texts: What single preposition can replace "as to"?

texts:
What single preposition can substitute "as to" that I emboldened below?

7.3.4 Mens rea

The mens rea of assault occasioning actual bodily harm is often misstated by students. The
only mens rea element which needs to be established is that of the assault or battery which
resulted in the actual bodily harm; that is, the intention or recklessness as to causing the victim
to apprehend immediate unlawful violence, or intention or recklessness as to the infliction
of unlawful force. It is not necessary to prove any additional mens rea requirement in relation
to the actual bodily harm which resulted. This was confirmed by the House of Lords in Savage;
Parmenter (1992) (overruling the earlier Court of Appeal decision in Spratt (1990)).

Nicola Monaghan, Criminal Law Directions 2020 6 edn, p. 172.


texts: Using the definite article with abstract nouns and some geographical names

texts:
Thousands of people watched the tidal bore of Qiantang River in China.

  phenomenon (something which happens in the nature)

Source

I have noticed two mistakes in using the article (the name of the river used with the zero article and the word "nature" that does not require the in the sense it is used in the news story). The news team did not agree with me and gave me no feedback. Is there any foundation for using the article this way?


texts:
Are the following sentences grammatical?
I have been learnt that "already" needs to accompany  "have/has," as in:

I have already eaten the food
The food has already been eaten by me

But I am curious: are the following sentences grammatical?

I already eat the food.
The food is already eaten.
I already ate the food.
The food was already eaten.


texts: Any word/phrase for 'what one says' and 'actually does'?

texts:
Quite common in a politicians' case; is there any word/phrase that describes the huge gap of what they said (too many things) and what actually they did (nothing)? Also, is there any term for them, the speakers (boasters?)?

Only one word/phrase please, if any.


texts: Do you "debate about whether" or "debate whether"?

texts:
A little under a million years ago, the briny waters of the Baltic Sea began flooding into the cold North Atlantic: geologists are still debating ____

(a) about whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic.

(b)           whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic.

Which option is correct and why?


texts: "Nitpick at someone" vs "nitpick about something"

texts:
Tell me please if the following sentence is correct.

  My teacher is constantly nitpicking at me.

I have looked up the verb nitpick in a few dictionaries and what I saw is that nitpick is used with the preposition about, but then there must be a thing or some kind of work that people nitpick about. For example:

  My boss was nitpicking about the work I had done.

So is it possible to say nitpick at someone meaning finding fault with someone?


texts:
My house have no windows.

I'm confused with two possible corrections:
1. have or has
2. windows or window


texts: If 'public' is a collective noun then why isn't 'people'?

texts:
I find that the word public  is regarded as a collective noun and the subsequent verb is said to be used in singular form.
Then why is not people  a collective noun though the meaning of the two words is quite same?


texts: what does the sentence "even if it was not called so" mean?

texts:
The hoodie has been -- even if it was not called so -- it's been an icon throughout history for good and for bad reasons. The earliest ones that we can trace are from ancient Greece and ancient Rome.
  (from Ted.com The 3,000-year history of the hoodie)

I did not quite understand the meaning of the sentence... and why did the "so" was at the end of the sentence?


texts: They were angry because they had waited (had been waiting) for too long

texts:
Inspired by a past-perfect vs. present-perfect online test:

  They were angry because they had waited for too long.

and

  They were angry because they had been waiting for too long.

Are both options grammatical?
If yes, what is the difference in meaning?

The second options seems to be more widespread, according to a quick Google search.

Is it because with had waited, the process of waiting might have ended before them becoming angry, and so there is a gap between their "waiting" stopped and their "angriness" started?


texts:
We have seen that the basic meaning of the Past tense in English is to
  locate an event or state in the past. It situate the event at a
  ‘temporal distance’ from the moment of speaking, whether in time,
  towards the past, or with regard to potential or hypothetical events
  which have not yet occurred in the present or the future. (Angela
  Downing, English Grammar: A University Course)

I don’t have the idea what cases are in the English for ‘the potential or hypothetical events which have not yet occurred in the future.’ Would you let me get the case?


texts: "Carry something in for you" or "carry something for you"

texts:
A line from the novel The Fault in Our Stars.

  Do you want me to carry it in for you?

Is it sufficient to say carry it for you instead of carry it in for you? What is the difference?


texts:
Many people correctly pointed out that such imagery trivializes the purpose of protest and the professional role of the police, images that could dangerously alter the opinions of impressionable young people.

Can anybody clarify the use of the comma in the sentence above?

For me, I feel it is reasonable and acceptable but I would like to comprehend the grammatical justification for that.


texts:
Anne says, ‘It is all about me.’ He bows. ‘When finally you have out
  of More what troubles his singular conscience, you will find that what
  is at the root of it is that he will not bend his knee to my
  queenship.’ She is small and white and angry. Long fingers tip to tip,
  bending each other back; eyes bright.

  — Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Does the bold phrase mean something like the picture below?


texts:
I am curious about the accuracy of the questions about "as .. as".

Examples;

  Who are you as happy as? (I am as happy as you)

  Who do you go to school as often as? (I go to school as often as you) or (as often as you do)

  What is it based on the same structure as? (It is based on the same structure as X)

  What do you earn as much money as I do? (I earn as much money as you earn) or (as much money as you can't imagine) etc.

Are these questions grammatical?

I think that the first two questions are correct but the other two questions are not correct.

They sound strange to me. What about your thoughts? Could you explain what the reason of your answer is? Thank you.


texts:
The sun was setting on the west at that moment, the flickering shade was steadily crawling up , pushing the wagon into a pitchy veil, enveloping the wagon, perhaps it was bright enough to twig out whatever was among with his wares wasn't a human.

The sun was setting on the west at that moment, the flickering shade was crawling up , pushing the wagon into a dark veil, enveloping the wagon.Perhaps it was bright enough to twig out whatever was among with his wares wasn't a human.

So, which one is better? I want to make it flow smooth and alike of a literaly prose.


texts: Distinguishing between "through which" and "during which"

texts:
Would you please correct me in choosing the words and arranging them?

  Taking into account the people's state of the household , we should conduct research during which or through which faithfulness to the individual people in exchange for one another will be detected.

By the phrase "the people's state of the household", I mean: the situation, circumstance, or mood which household or each of the members of household have.

By "conduct research", I mean: we are going to do research.

What kind of research? The research through which we will find how faithful the people are to one another.


texts: Listening and intonation: I need your help

texts:
I cut this phrase out of a TV series and uploaded to Youtube: https://youtu.be/vfj-fl1wq74

The phrase "I need your help" phonetically looks like [aɪ nidʒyər hɛlp]. I listened to the video over and over again and I hear some stress on "help", but I don't hear any stress on "need" and "your". I know we can stress different words to change the meaning for example:

I need your help - I need your help. I need help, not my brother, not my sister, and not my neighbor.

I need YOUR help - I need YOUR help. I need your help, not your neighbor's help.

However, I'm interested in the context above (the attached video). In the attached video I can't hear any stress other than the word "help", and I think it is the most common way we use the phrase. I would like to have your feedback. I'm not a native speaker and can't distinguish very well.


texts: Why is it "If I were you" and not "If I was you"?

texts:
From my research online the correct way is to say "If I were you" and not "If I was you" because this is the "subjunctive mood".

However they don't say the underlying reason for it. They just say use "If I were you" when it is subjunctive.

What if I wanted to say "If he was you", should I use "if he were you" instead? Since most post talk about "If I.." I have no way to know what would be the correct way for "If he...", "If she..", etc.

I read that the subjunctive is a mood and not a Tense. With Tenses you know the conjugation. How does it work with the moods?

I found this site which has a long list of conjugations, and it has "I were" for the Past subjunctive.

So, when I am saying "If I were you":

Am I using the "Past Subjunctive"?
And therefore I should also say "If he were you"?


texts: Why Can't we use an object with "Tell the truth" or "Tell a lie"?

texts:
I am learning "Reported Speech" and a rule says that "tell" has to be followed by an object, except with the expressions "tell the truth, tell a lie..."
Can't we say, "He told me the truth"?


texts:
In Coach Carter, a basketball team loses a game and the members argue with each other in the locker room:

  Timo, you was in [the game] the whole time, you never even touched the rock.Source: script-o-rama.com, Coach Carter Script – Dialogue Transcript

What does “touched the rock” mean?


texts: The difference between the two sentences_______

texts:
The question is too difficult for everyone to answer.
  The question is too difficult to answer.

Do the above two sentences mean same? or there is a difference between the two?


texts: The meaning of "to make of" in Macmillan dictionary

texts:
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/make-of

Macmillan Dictionary defines "to make of" as

  to use chances and opportunities in order to be successful.

It also provides us two examples:

  This job is whatever you make of it.

  I want to make something of my new life here.

I have no idea about what this dictionary is explaining there.

However,  it seems like I grasp the meaning of those two examples,
 with the second definition of "to make of" in the same dictionary
:

  to understand someone or the meaning of something in a particular way.

Could you explain to me what the first definition of to make of is
and how does its meaning work in the given examples?

Or do you also gree those examples are placed in wrong position?


texts: What is the difference between these two sentences ("I was told" vs "I had been told")?

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences:

  I went to see it because I had been told it was a good film by all my friends.

and

  I went to see it because I was told it was a good film by all my friends.


texts: Difference between "Thanks" and "Thank You"

texts:
What is any difference between Thanks and Thank you?
Are they both same in all aspects?


texts: He earned a law degree from or at Harvard Law School?

texts: What is correct? He earned a law degree at Harvard Law School or from Harvard Law School?


texts: Medical student vs. medicine student vs. student of medicine?

texts: What is the right phrase for calling someone who is studying medicine? I've seen "medical student" a lot but I doubt about it mostly because the student him/herself is not medical! It's his/her field of study that is medical. Also I've seen that we call the school "School of medicine". What form is the true one?


texts:
What is the difference between "and" , "or"?
Can we use conjunction "or" in the positive sentence or not?
How about "and"??

"Lisa likes apples and bananas." Can i use "or" in that sentence or not? If not why?


texts: synonym for "introspection" or "thinking inwardly"

texts:
I want to use a word that not only conveys the meaning of "thinking inwardly" but also is common, informal and normal in native English. I use the examples below and some synonyms for clarification, but please don't limit yourself to these ideas since I am not a native speaker, and inform me if you have opposite sentiments. Also, I'm looking for a "verb" as its equivalent.

In the modern world, in which we are snowed under with countless tasks, almost every adult feels worn out and experiences burnout, and forgets to care for his mental health. Therefore, I hold this contention that we must devote some time to think inwardly about our emotional and mental problems.

There are also some other terms that I've heard, but there are some problems with each of them.
For being "common": I searched https://www.ludwig.guru and https://www.english-corpora.org. For being "professional", I used my own knowledge since I study psychology, and have only seen this word in old psychological texts.
"think intrinsically" is not common and usual.
"introspect" is rather uncommon and is used in professional contexts, but I am looking for an ordinary word that we can utilize in informal speaking, and our addressee understands easily.


texts: What's the meaning of this "Death" in "Mobile Attribution 101: The Death of App Attribution"?

texts:
I read that article Mobile Attribution 101: The Death of App Attribution. That article introduced some basic ideas about Mobile Attribution.

It confused me, why that article name as "The Death of App Attribution"? I just found none connection between Death and App Attribution.

So, could anyone please tell what's the meaning of this "Death" in "Mobile Attribution 101: The Death of App Attribution"?


texts: What is the name of the person whose role is to be the first contact for complaints?

texts:
What is the general name of first contact person who is initially approached/contacted for any complain?

If for example, I am part of an industry and I work in chemical engineering department and I have seen a problem relevant to electrical engineering department,
I will inform electrical engineering department, but the person who receives complain from me at first in electrical engineering department, what will be he called for this role first contact person?

Or there isn't any special name for this/such role?


texts:
I'm reading an article on different learning styles. I came across a phrase about the auditory learners that I'm not quite sure I understand.

  Sounding out spelling words, reciting mathematical theories, or talking their way across a map are the examples of the types of activities that improve their understanding.

While I can almost infer from the context that it probably means spelling the words outloud, I can't find any reference to back it up! First sound out as a phrasal verb means something irrelevent, so does out if I take it as an adverb!

Am I right thinking that the phrase means spelling words outloud? Could you please break it down to its components showing the parts of speech of the words in it?


texts:
This line is said in the very first episode of a cartoon show, Total Drama Island.

This is the first time the characters are introduced. I assume the comment is about their clothing being out of place.

But I can't find out what "T.O.ed" means.

Chris Mclean (The host) says:

  We told them they'd all be staying at a 5 star resort, so if they seem a little T.O.ed, that's probably why.


texts: Have you ever been to London? Have you ever gone to London?

texts:
Have you ever been to London?

or

  Have you ever gone to London?

Which one is correct?


texts: Which one is correct ? ''feel it amazed or amazing''

texts:
You will feel it _________(amaze) to see the wonderful view of the whole town from the mountain.

Which one is correct ? "feel it amazed" or "amazing". The answer is "amazing". Is that right?


texts:
I guess I am aware of the concept of conditionals.

  Conditional sentences consider imagined or uncertain situations and the possible results of these situations.

If is the most commonly used word to construct a conditional.

If + subject + present simple, subject + modal(future) + Verb(base)

  If a lawyer reads the document, we will see if we’ve missed anything important.

sometime, when could also do the job.

  if ice melts
  it becomes water

  when ice melts
  it becomes water

A few minutes ago, I saw an use with "where"

  Where there is more than one verb, mid position means after the first auxiliary verb or after a modal verb

Given it comes from Cambridge Dictionary, I believe it is almost certainly idiomatic.

The question is when would people use "where" to construct a conditional? In other words, in what kind of situations, people would use "where" to construct a conditional? Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts: the different between"the first to do "and "the first who ever did"

texts: I want to know the different between the phrases the first to do and the first who ever did.  Please give some examples.


texts:
I couldn't find any gramar rule that  says "* and he" is incorrect.
However, I found out that "he and *" is more common/idiomatic.
Are constructions like "his wife and he" or "her friends and she" incorrect/uncommon? Why or why not?
Example sentence: "His wife and he went to Hawaii last week."