texts: Is the attributive clause applied correctly in this sentence?

texts:
Context:

  The “champions” defended the land on behalf of their king. To be so
  called “champions” by their king means that such soldiers sacrificed
  much on behalf of their king and they were also considered heroes
  among the king's land; such soldiers were heroes equipped, armed,
  and provided by the people of the king's land; they were overseers
  among the king's people and directly served the king. The “runners,”
  on the other hand, were those dedicated to delivering the king's
  messages to the people throughout the kingdom.

Please do not mind the writing style, nor the content. What I would like to know is if the attributive clause here can do without "who were" after the words "such soldiers were heroes." Is it necessary to add some type of preposition/verb/pronoun before "equipped"? Or Is the grammar acceptable here?


texts:
What word normally would you use for **taking out the seeds of  watermelon/melon/orange" or e.g. mango pit?
Is it just "to take out" or you would usually use the same words? (I meen "to seed a melon" or "to pit a mango".)


texts:
Let's say Stephen Curry is making a promise to himself. And it goes like this:

  ”I will be the champion in this field(NBA), greater than what everybody has used to know.''

Or

  "I will be the champion in this field(NBA), greater than what everybody usually know.''

I think the first example is correct and sounds good, but I'm not sure. Could pls.shed a light on this?


texts: Present perfect + point of time = simple past

texts:
Grammatically,  present perfect + point of time = simple past.

  She has returned two days ago.
  (omit "has" to make it correct.)

Similarly:

  She has owned this parlour since 2002
  (it is correct)

As per the above rule, should not we be omitting "has" in the second sentence to make it correct?


texts: meaning of the phrase "moment's thought"?

texts:
Here it goes in context:

  You should give your body a moment's thought.

It is understandable that it means to pay attention to something, but that sounds weird. Why is it not give something a moment of thought? Do those two phrases mean the same?


texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

  I myself, am interested (in something/to know/hear/learn etc. (that)).

or

  I am interested (in something/to know/hear/learn etc. (that)) myself.


texts:
Can i use that after “wrong” in sentence below. If it is not correct i wonder why it can’t be used like some adjectices such as “sure”.

  1) Police was wrong that the man in black suit was killer.

Or

  2) Police was wrong about the fact that the man in black suit was killer .


texts: Interpretation of adverbial clauses meaning time or condition, such as when, if

texts:
I'm learning English with text books, and one of them says tenses of adverbial clauses which means time or condition(such as when-clause or if-clause) depend on the main clauses to which they are subordinate and are interpreted relatively to the tenses of the main clauses, if the main clauses mean something about future.

For example, in the sentence "I will leave before he comes.", "come" is used in present tense even though "he comes" means something about future and not about present. For another example, in the sentence "If it rains tomorrow, the match will be canceled.", "rain" is used in present tense depending on the main clause "the match will be canceled" meaning something about future even though the meaning of "rain" is about future here.

If what my text book says is right and tenses of adverbial clauses which means time or condition depend on the main clauses to which they are subordinate and are interpreted relatively to the main clauses, the following sentences would be right, and I would like to know they are right or not.

"I will go abroad after he graduated." meaning that "graduated" is about the past in relation to the future the main clause means and it is actually about the future.
"John said that his daughter would leave before he comes." meaning "comes" is about the present in relation to the future which "his daughter would" means in relation to the past which "John said" means.
What I would like to know is whether tenses of adverbial sentences in these conditions are used and interpreted relatively to the main clauses to which they are subordinated or not.

Thank you very much for reading such long sentences so far. My explanation might be not so good and it might be difficult to understand well what I would like to know. But it's very thankful if I could hear some opinions.


texts:
A: Would you like to try some pizza?
B: Mm, it tastes good.

In the above example, clearly B has tasted the pizza, I am wondering why B says "It tastes good" rather than "It tasted good" since the action happened in the past. Or is it because B is stating the present status of the pizza? If so, does "It tasted good" make sense?


texts:
Spencer doesn't let the cat into the house.

Is "into the house" an objective complement, or an adverbial phrase?


texts:
I found this cup on flipkart:

What does it mean actually? We shall live forever?


texts:
Which one of the following constructs is better or correct, and why? Btw, the meaning of the two is the same, right?

The customer's all products...
All of the customer's products...


texts: What is the grammatical facts of "as" in the sentence?

texts:
I read this sentence in the Cambridge touchstone student's book.
*

  The scenery is amazing, as is the peace and quiet.

*
I want to know what the meaning of "as" is in the sentence?

In my point of view, "as" here is a pronoun and can be used interchangeably with "which". It leads a non-restrictive attributive clause.

Is that right?

After looking up the dictionary，I have another opinion about “as”， I think “as” in this sentence is conjunction，which means how something happens or is done, or to indicate that something happens or is done in the same way as something else. And "as is the peace and quiet" is an inversion sentence.


texts:
I want to say:

  First, let's see what is the concept of (a word).

The question is how can I write this part of the sentence (let's see) in a formal manner?


texts: What is the word for the words which are not spoken, but should be understood?

texts:
I want to know the word which means any word which is not spoken/written explicitly but should be understood.

Example: Person A has misbehaved with his parents. So somebody close to person A, say his wife, said "Don't you have any education of decency that you should not misbehave with your parents, left in you?"

The italicized parts are not said explicitly because it is clear from the context and is unnecessary to mention.


texts: What's the difference between "Syntax of mail function" and "mail function syntax"

texts:
I am little bit confused about what is the correct sentence of following statements.

Syntax of mail function

OR

mail function syntax

Both are correct then Why ?


texts:
There are two sentences in Betty S. Azar grammar book that I can't get exact meaning of those.

Did you drive to the doctor's office?
Did you go to a doctor?

First, what is "doctor's office"? and Where do we call Doctor's office.

Second, what is the difference between those sentences meaning?

I appreciate your help.


texts:
"This data must always be stored securely and never unencryptedly, i.e. never store this data in an unencrypted fashion"?

Is there an adverb for unencrypted?


texts: Is it wrong or uncommon to use whether when there isn't a second option?

texts:
When there are two options, it's clear. You should use whether:

  He didn't know whether to go on Monday or Tuesday.

What about when there aren't two options? Example:

  He called to check whether she was okay.

  She didn't know whether to continue with the plan.

Note: what about this example?

  She didn't know the person who wrote the note, or whether this was a morbid
  joke.


texts: "stretch something to its limit" meaning

texts:
I have encountered this sentence:

  Science can explain how gravity works between two objects, but why
  should it be based on the exact equations we find rather than others?
  In fact, why should gravity exist at all? Answering the “why”
  questions sometimes stretches necessity to its limits.

What is the meaning of the phrase : stretches necessity to its limits. what is the meaning of stretch something to its limit?


texts:
I guess I've got a feeling of what it means, but I'd like to learn its exact meaning and when it can be used:

  I went to the website and paid my share, only to see the error message again (implying that the transaction didn't get through and he wasn't able to pay).

Also, in the example above, isn't it better to use "tried to pay my share" instead of "paid my share"?


texts:
I am wondering if we must use both of the bold parts together? Isn't one of them ellipsis? Must we always use both pairs - bold parts together?

I want to settle down, and start a family.
I want to get married and settle down.


texts:
I need a word meaning that "explaining why something is as it is". An example sentence is "The dependencies can be ... in different ways." I feel that a good choice for me may be to use the word "interpreted". However, it is mentioned here that interpret means "to describe the meaning of something; examine in order to explain", while I need it to mean "to describe why something is as it is". Can interpret mean what I mean?

In other words, according to dictionaries, interpret seems to be about what something means, while I want to use it about why something is as it is. Can it be used like that? For example, in a sentence like "We provide two different interpretations for the existence of these dependencies", in which we mean "We provide to different explanations for the existence of these dependencies"


texts: Can I use the verb 'even' in such expression 'I can't even their knowledge'?

texts:
additional information

  According to this source the word 'even' can be used as a verb (e.g. she cut the hair again to even up the ends)

question #1:

  Can I use the verb 'even' to describe action which represents making the same quantity of knowledge of students (even their knowledge = all of the students have the same information about something)- I wanted to put it as much as possible succinctly

question #2:

  Can I use the word 'knowledge' as plural in this context (I can't even their knowledges)?


texts: "Any sort of situation" or "any sort of situations"

texts:
Once any sort of unique name(s) comes up, I'm lost.

  I lose it when any sort of strange situation(s) comes up.

Since "situation" and "name" here are count nouns, should they be in the plural? The singular strikes me as wrong in this context.


texts:
Yut Nori is the most popular game in Korea.
Yut Nori is a traditional board game played in Korea, especially during Korean New Year.

I made two kinds of sentences:

Yut Nori is the most popular game in my country which is a traditional board game played especially during Korean New Year.
Yut Nori which is a traditional board game played especially during Korean New Year is the most popular game in my country.

I don't know where to put the 'which clause'. Or are both the sentences wrong?


texts:
I'm not entirely sure how to approach this.

  Change is part of a businesses growth.

or

  Change is part of a business' growth.

Which one is correct and why?


texts: Which sentence is correct? He dismounted his horse. or He dismounted from his horse

texts:
Trying to say, he got down from his horse.

Which sentence is grammatically correct? And, why?

He dismounted his horse.
He dismounted from his horse.

Is there any difference if you were to replace 'dismount' with 'alight'?


texts: "I came right back AT her door" or "I came right back TO her door"?

texts:
What would be correct between these two lines (please explain) :

  I came right back at her door.

Or

  I came right back to her door.


texts:
I'm trying to rewrite the following sentence into another form:

Client requires that the software run with high performance and be bug-free.

My rewrite looks like this:

Client has strong demand for high performance and ______ from the software.

I'm looking for the noun form of "be free from bugs" for the blank. I hope that the solution is general, because in the future I will try to rewrite "loyalty-free", "alcohol-free" etc. in a similar fashion.


texts: Call me a taxi ~ Okay, I'll call you a taxi!

texts:
verb + pronoun + indefinite article + noun is quite commonly used in our day-to-day lives.

  get me a pen ~ Kindly arrange a pen for me

But then, when it comes to 'calling a taxi', it gets funny...

  Call me a taxi ~ Okay! (From now on,) I'll call you a taxi!

Is there any other way to pronounce it? By stressing or putting accent on some word? Maybe, call is stressed? So that it does not sound funny?


texts:
Is there a semantic difference between the following two sentences?

  In the future, we are planning to migrate our tool to the Z3 solver.

  In the future, we plan to migrate our tool to the Z3 solver.


texts:
Suppose I want to count applications of something

  The applications of X include Y for ...., Z for .... Moreover, X can be used for W.

I feel "Moreover", "Furthermore", "In addition",... are used to add another points to the points or reasons already said... but maybe not for adding another case or example? If I am right, which adverbs are used for this purpose?


texts:
From Everything You Know about English is Wrong:

Now that you know, it's time to, well, bite the mother tongue. William Brohaugh, former editor of Writer's Digest, will be your tour guide on this delightful journey through the English language, pointing out all the misconceptions about our wonderful – and wonderfully confusing – native tongue. Tackling words, letters, grammar and rules, no sacred cow remains untipped as Brohaugh reveals such fascinating and irreverent shockers.

What does the phrase/idiom "no sacred cow remains untipped" mean?


texts:
1)-Thank you very much for accepting my request for taking care of my home during my absence.

2)-Thank you very much for accepting my request taking care of my home during my absence.

Or

3)-Thank you very much for accepting my request in taking care of my home during my absence.

The confusion is related to combining sentences with prepositional, participle or noun phrases. Either it should be in taking care...., for taking care...., or just taking care...?

which sentence example is grammatically correct and why others are not?

Regards;


texts: "what to make of it" means "what to make with it"?

texts:
Children who are "crying or making loud noises" are not allowed inside
  Old Fisherman's Grotto. The restaurant is serious about this policy —
  and people aren't sure what to make of it. (source)

Since this structure isn't parallel to something in my native language, I'm not sure what it means, but it seems that the meaning of it is like "what to do with it", or "what to do about it". Isn't it?

If it is, then can I use both interchangeably? ("what to make of it" and "what to make with it")?


texts: Is it "Advice companies to do something" or "Advise companies to do something"?

texts:
According to this documentation:

  Verb  Example     Noun    Example

  -ise      -ice

advise  || Jenny advised him to go home.

advice  || My advice is to see your doctor.

So it should be:

Advise companies to do something?


texts:
I think is in need of a wash is more appropriate choice to fill in the following blank

The brown shirt_________.

Because meaning of in need of is  Macmilan
But the right choice in my book is requires a wash


texts:
Different  people  have  different  ideas  of  beauty  or  handsomeness.  You  only  have  to  look  at those  around you to realize  that  people are  attracted by  every  possible physical  type. Some people  find plumpness  attractive.  Some  go  for  black  hair;  others, brown.

From above sentence, what does the bold word "others"
refer to? Only in my point of view, I think it may be "some other people" as I think it refers to "additional people".


texts: How can you use the word "stupid" as a noun?

texts:
How can you use the word "stupid" with the article as a noun?

  Stupid

Wikipedia has the meaning (noun informal).


texts:
Please see the sentences below and let me know whether they are correct.

1) I went to the hospital and i saw a patient      being treated last night.

2) I will go the hill tomorrow morning and look at the sun being rised in between the hills.

So, the first sentence “being+v3” is used in past tense and in the second sentence “being+v3” is used in future tense.

Let me know, are those sentences correct?


texts: sentence explanation and ,,sentence synonyms" - Only when that is done do we have a class from which we can create objects

texts:
I am reading about C++ computer programming (Stroustrup's book - for the keens) and I have just met with this sentence.

  Only when that is done do we have a class from which we can create objects.

It is quite straightforward I think and I understand it (I hope so).  My problem is that I don't remember a sentence structure like this.

Could you please make things clear for me and make some other examples and / or alternatives to this using?


texts: why should it have German values eroded or why should it has German values eroded?

texts:
On facebook there is a post that says:

  The German Chancellor has called for a full-face veil ban in Germany.

In a comment, someone said:

  Yes i agree. Ms Merkel, Germany has been a beacon to help refugees but
  why should it have German values eroded because of the good will the
  Germans have shown.

Now, is it correct to say why should it have German Values .... ? (Why not has since it is a singular noun ?)

And how can we rewrite this sentence without this  structure?

Thank you


texts: "Keep positive" in meaning of "be an optimist" works?

texts:
Does "Keep positive" in meaning of "be an optimist" works

The context is, when someone was failed in an exam, and I want to encourage him for the second chance that has.


texts: What does "China’s richer tech valuations may have been a draw" mean?

texts:
Does it mean China's bigger tech companies may have broken even?

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/draw_2

"Still, China’s richer tech valuations may have been a draw, said Sun Mengqi, an analyst at BOCOM International Holdings Co. “There could be a substantial valuation gap between the U.S. and China.”"

Source: http://fortune.com/2018/02/28/zhou-hongyi-net-worth-360-security-technology/


texts: An active construction with a passive meaning used in "there were ... " sentence pattern

texts:
I am writting a recommendation letter for one of my employees in support of his application for graduate school in Canada and English is not my native language obviously.
There is a sentence:

  "In light of the complexity of our
  software system and tight project schedules, there were always fires that needed to put out."

Is it grammatically right? Or

  "In light of the complexity of our
  software system and tight project schedules, there were always fires that needed to be put out."

is the right expression?
"need to be done" is a common active construction with a passive meaning but in the "there were some things that needed to ..." sentence pattern, is it OK just to use the active construction for "put out" instead of "be put out"?


texts: A word or a phrase to describe younger siblings who likes to control her older siblings

texts:
A colleague of mime had a younger sibling who likes to control my colleague life.

Is there a word or a phrase to describe it?


texts:
Can you please check my sentences below or write new sentences that sound natural for me?

  Be careful! Dog's poop just ahead.
  There's a lot of dog's waste on this street. Mind your step.
  Be careful! There's so much dog shit.

Should I say dog's poop, dog shit, or dog's waste?

For poop, I wonder if it should be singular or plural. Can I say "Be careful! Dog's poops!"?


texts: "Since they partnered up they have made a lot of money"

texts:
Since they partnered up they have made a lot of money.

Or should it be

  Since they had partnered up they have made a lot of money.

because first they partnered up and only then they have made a lot of money


texts:
In the process, it is accelerating the spread of banking in an economy that, according to Michel Losembe, the bow-tied president of the Congolese Banking Association, is "not very far off barter".

What is the meaning of 'not very far off barter'?


texts:
I have an exercise in my grammar book which deals with use of 'supposed to'.

My teacher told me that 'supposed to' can not be used with was except am/is/are.

  "I was supposed to meet you at 9."

Isn't above sentence grammatically correct?

I think I have heard people using 'was supposed to'. Who is grammatically correct?


texts:
I am currently reading this article,, and there was a word,

  This isn’t just another hackneyed reference to Johnson’s surface similarities to Donald Trump, which include urine-colored tumbleweed coifs, the elevation of pathological mendacity to a political art form, and, excepting Johnson’s higher erudition (he regularly spouts gobbets of ancient Greek), the impressive willingness to speak without coherence or elementary knowledge about the things that supposedly matter most to either man.

What is exactly the "tumbleweed coifs"? I googled and looked up, but only what I got is very few resources, kindly help me with this.

Thank you.


texts:
I want to say,

  My skills in data management
  My experiences in data management
  My skills in programming
  My experiences in programming

in one sentence:

  my skills and experiences in data and programming

Is this sentence grammatically correct? Does this convey what I want to say?

My concern is this sentence

  My skills and experiences in data and programming"

sounds like

  "My skills and experiences in data" + "programming"

treating programming as an independent item.


texts: "But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam would never have been allowed" — why "would have"?

texts:
From The Hunger Games:

  My bow is a rarity, crafted by my father along with a few others that I keep well hidden in the woods, carefully wrapped in waterproof covers. My father could have made good money selling them, but if the officials found out he would have been publicly executed for inciting a rebellion. Most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they’re as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is. In fact, they’re among our best customers. But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam would never have been allowed.

I'm not sure I understand why the sentence uses would never have been instead of would never be. The protagonist's father died a long time ago; that's why she's talking about him in the past tense. The book itself is written in the present tense. The Seam is the district where the protagonist lives.

Here's my guess:

If I rewrote the sentence in the present tense, I think I'd get:

  But the idea that someone might/may be arming the Seam has never been allowed.

To make it hypothetical, I would need to replace has with would have; I also wouldn't be able to use may:

  But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam would never have been allowed.

I suppose would never be would work if the present tense version used is never:

  But the idea that someone might/may be arming the Seam is never allowed.

  But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam would never be allowed.

The difference is that this version refers only to the present while the original sentence refers to the past up to the present.


texts: "not so good as" or "not as good as" - Which is grammatically correct?

texts:
Can anybody tell that which one of the following is correct?

He is not as good as his father.
He is not so good as his father.

When conveying some negative sense, I have always seen/watched (movies, dramas, etc.) people using "not as good as" whereas, in many places, I have seen them using "not so" instead of "not as".

Image is taken from thefreedictionary.com


texts: Should I use plural nouns in this sentence?

texts:
I have come across this situation many times. For example:

  Interactive e-books can not only show characters' movements and facial expressions but also can let the children (readers) choose what would they do under the scenarios.

Should I use plural for those words? I feel it may not be necessary but characters have many movements and facial expressions in an e-book and there are many scenarios in an e-book too.

I tried searching Google for it but I cannot find explanations for this kind of situation.


texts:
I don't know whether to choose to use past simple or present simple after when(where).

For example:

I like the part where he kills the villain.
I like the part where he killed the villain.

1 and 2 both sound natural and seem interchangeable.

I like the part where he doesn't kill the villain.
I like the part where he didn't kill the villain.

According to the first 2 examples, 3 and 4 should have no difference but 4 sounds unnatural.

So the question is what is the difference between using past simple or present simple after when(where) in these cases and if 4 has a different meaning, then what is it?

Also

I like the part where he had killed the villain.

What is the difference between 5 and the other 4?

Thanks in advance.


texts: company's anniversary vs company's birthday

texts:
(1a) Next week, we will be celebrating our company's eighth birthday. (my sentence)
(1b) Next week, we will be celebrating our company eighth birthday. (my friends' revised sentence)
(2a) Next week, we will be celebrating our company's eighth anniversary. (my sentence)
(2b) Next week, we will be celebrating our company eighth anniversary. (my friends' revised sentence)
May I ask two questions?
(A) My non-native English speaking friends removed the possessive from the word, company. Is it wrong to have it?
(B) Is it okay to use "birthday" as an alternative word for "anniversary"?


texts: What word can be used to refer to things that annoy us?

texts:
I am stuck finding a word referring to annoying things. Can you suggest some? Thank you.

From comment: I'm looking for a noun actually, some noun that can generally refer to all those bad experience I have got in the day.


texts: be earning a fortune vs be making a fortune

texts:
Are there some difference in meaning in these sentences? Is it possible to use Present Simple to show a regularity of it or this phrase is used only to show a process of making big money?

He is earning a fortune as a managing director.
He is making a fortune as a managing director.


texts: Placement of adverbial and prepositional phrases in sentences

texts:
Of the two sentences below, which would be correct?

  I have sent a book at head office by bus
  I have sent a book by bus at head office

The placement of "by bus" and "at head office" are different. I want to confirm which placement is correct in the above sentences.


texts: How to mention your rank about an exam you took

texts:
How can I mention a rank you are at on an exam. Can I use the word "rank" to define a success on a exam?

An example sentence would be

  I was/ranked in top 100 out of 10 000 persons/people/applicants/test
  takers on the exam.


texts:
I know a/the beautiful girl who goes by the name of Jane.
  I have the deepest affection for a/the beautiful girl who goes by the
  name of Jane.

In both instances, the definite article implies that the listener knows who Jane is, while the indefinite article doesn't have this implication—the listener may or may not know who Jane is.

Is this correct?


texts: Am I using “already”, “at once”, and “immediately” correctly?

texts:
I have heard the following expressions used to express a demand for something or a desire for someone to do something immediately. Next to each one is my interpretation of the nuanced meaning behind the phrase.

Tell me already: I don’t want to you to tease me any longer.
Tell me at once: I’ve become really annoyed by the delay.
Tell me immediately: stress the urgency of the issue.
Just do it already: don’t play around any longer.
Just do it at once: “the word just obscures the meaning of at once, so it means virtually the same: don’t play around any longer.”
Just do it immediately: “the same as above.”

I want to know whether I'm correct about these nuances? And are there other natural expressions used for the same thing in daily speech?


texts: I like to begin some sentence with "And", especially when I wrote some stories at Reddit. I have someone there who voluntary fix my grammar, and I noticed that he often fix my sentence that begins with "And". But I found beginning sentence with "And" feels more natural to the context of the paragraph. And there, I did it again, I started a sentence with "But". Oh, and another "And" there. Duh. Is there any rule of how to use incomplete sentence correctly? Or is it a big no no ever after in English?


texts: Is it true that “What are you drinking?" is used to offer to buy someone a drink?

texts:
I saw this from my dictionary:

  What are you drinking?

  used to offer to buy someone a drink, especially in a pub spoken.

I am wondering if this usage is indeed applied in practice. What are you drinking? to me sounds that they see I'm drinking something and ask what I am drinking at the time. How come it becomes an offer to buy me a drink?


texts: What is the name for words such as "thus", "hence", "however", etc.?

texts:
I need to write my Master's thesis in English but I often find myself repeating words such as "hence", "thus" and "however". I suspect resouces like word banks exist to help novice writers like me but I don't now how to call this kind of words and hence I cannot look them up on the Internet. Does anyone know the term I am looking for and, maybe, know of any such resource i could use?

Thanks.


texts:
The photocopier  broke down yesterday, but now it's OK.
a) It is working again. It has been repaired.
b) It works again. It has been repaired.

What is the difference in meaning between those two ways of saying. I'm interested in all the subtleties.


texts: Help with determining non-essential vs essential elements

texts:
My friend who is not a native english speaker has two little siblings that need help on their homework. The point of the homework is determining nonessential vs essential expressions.

I believe there are five nonessential (indicated by the 5 lines in exercise two) and believe that they are: 1,3,4,8,9.

In addition, what is a good way to determine if it is a nonessential clause? At first I attempted to take out the underlined portion and see if the sentence still makes sense, but most if not all sentences still work after taking out the underlined portion. I then thought perhaps adding commas at the end and beginning of the underlined portion would help, but it also fails. Is there a good general way to determine if a portion of text is nonessential?

After looking at this link http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/essentialclause.htm It does state that essential clauses limit general ambiguous nouns. While it helps me, I was wondering if there was perhaps a easier way to discern the difference. I say this because I hope to teach my friends siblings the ability to tell the difference, not just give them the right answers.

Are my answers right? What is a good easy way to explain to new english learners the difference between nonessential and essential elements?


texts: Do we use "would do" or "would have done" after "if it wasn’t/weren’t for…"?

texts:
In dictionary,

  if it wasn’t/weren’t for…:

  used to say that somebody/something stopped somebody/something from
  happening

  If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive today. (seem like conditional sentence type 2 - unreal at the present time)

But I saw these in another site

  We use if it was / were not for + noun to say that one situation is
  dependent on another situation.

  • If it wasn’t / weren’t for the fireman, my dog would have died in
  the fire. (if it is Conditional sentence Type 2, then why they use "would have died" in the main clause & "was/were" in the conditional clause?)

  Other expressions

  • If it hadn’t been for my parents, I wouldn’t have gone to
  university. (Conditional sentence Type 3, unreal in the past)

So, is this sentence wrong: If it wasn’t / weren’t for the fireman, my dog would have died in the fire.?

Because if it is Conditional sentence Type 2, then why they use "would have died" in the main clause & "was/were" in the conditional clause?

Anh here says:

  but for=if it were not for

  He would have played but for a knee injury. (it uses "would have played" in the main clause but it uses "were" in the conditional clause )


texts: Can you say "take a bite" to your son when you give a spoon of soup or pancake to him?

texts:
You spoon-fed your son by spooning some soup or a piece of pancake into his mouth.
When while holding the spoon in front of him, is it correct to say "Yum! Yum! Take a bite"?
I don't understand why some native speakers decide to say like that because the boy didn't bite a piece from a large piece.
I think the correct way is to say "take a spoon / a spoonful of soup / a piece of pancake". But I may be wrong.


texts: "Move over the bridge" vs. "move on the bridge"

texts:
The train is moving under the bridge.

I know this is fine.

But, what about the following?

  The train is moving over the bridge.
  The train is moving on the bridge.


texts: Is it clear and natural to connect two sentences using the conjunction "while"?

texts:
According to Cambridge Dictionary, "while" as a "conjunction" means

compared with the fact that; but

as in this example

Tom is very extroverted and confident while Katy's shy and quiet.

In the post The US/British tag on Merriam-Webster, I wrote

On the "Definition of in school" page of Merriam-Webster, the US tag is used. While the "Definition of at school" page uses the British tag.

Where I was trying to connect two sentences using the conjunction "while" and compare two uses. Did I use it correctly? Are there any other expressions more natural could be used here?


texts:
When referring to America, one should use the definite article, "the", "the United States".

However, in some titles of posts, the definite article is omitted.

Is that some kind of grammar rule?


texts: I learned "will you~?" but I have never heard about "shall you~?" I thought that "shall" has similar meanings as "will". Is it unnatural to use "shall you~?" instead of "will you~?"


texts:
I am trying to tell a friend that a shop has been opened again -so it had been closed before- some days ago. I am not sure which of the following sentences is the right one:

The shop is re-opened!
The shop is re-open!
Another sentence

Would you help me?


texts: I planned to do in the past but I didn't do

texts:
I  was going to do the work, but I didn't.

is there any model verb or any other ,I can use for same situation.


texts: When expressing "by using the Python programming language", should I use "with", "in" or something else?

texts:
This post uses this title

  Extract specific pages of PDF and save it with Python

This post uses this title

  Finding the index of an item given a list containing it in Python

Both of the examples above are "using the Python programming language".

So, when expressing "by using the Python programming language", should I use "with", "in" or something else?


texts:
Please help me to understand the difference between have not and did not.

Scenario: we are all sitting in my manager's cabin.

  Manager: Show me your ID card. (Asked to my team member)
  I'm on behalf of my team member
  I: Sorry sir, he did not bring his ID card today.

or should I say

  I: Sorry Sir. He has not brought his ID card today.


texts: How do I ask for pick up and drop off services from the hotel

texts:
I booked a hotel which offers complimentary pick up and drop off services.
I'd like to know the English I need over the phone when I arrived at the train station where they can pick me up.

Also I'd like to know how to ask for the schedule for dropping off when I am about to check out. Like, can I say:

  I'd like to know what's the schedule of drop off like.

Also, how can I express the idea that at what time can they drop me off at the station. If I say

  Can you guys drop me off at the station at 5:00?

I feel like this could be understood as they would drop me off at that station at 5:00 or they would get me in the car at 5:00 and drive me to that station. If I want to express the latter, how should I phrase?


texts: How to differentiate between if zero conditional and if first conditional?

texts:
If the tree isn't watered, it (will die - dies - would die).

I know zero conditional should be about facts. In the example above I'm confused whether to choose will die or dies.


texts:
What is a succinct definition of social networking?

It seemes it always refers to Internet.
Is "hanging out with friends" a kind of social networking?


texts: Why are there two 'for's in “she only has eyes for for a research professor”?

texts:
‘The owner, Keenan Wynn, has got it bad for his waitress Kotty (Terry Moore), but she only has eyes for for a research professor (Frank Lovejoy).’

I've seen the sentence from Oxford dictionary. I'm not sure if it's just a typo. I don't feel it needs two 'for's there. Any thoughts?


texts:
I would like to know the meaning of the word project onto, as far as I see from the context here that the word "protect onto" means that you redeem other people to have the same feeling you have.

Someone who's talking about his friend who invited him to a restaurant that he sees himself as a big deal in it

So here's the example:

Person A:

  We came here because jordan pretty much explicitly said that he is a big deal in this restaurant.

So his friend replies with that:

  I'm not concerned with a big deal! I'm concerned with a good meal, it's not all about ranks, you have this insecurity about you that you project onto others.

So now that I gave you the example does project onto here mean that person A feels the insecurity inside him and thinks that other people feel the same thing.


texts: How do I say "If the download failed ... " correctly?

texts:
If the download failed ...

Since download is a verb, it is supposed to be downloading. But it seems there is no one use downloading.


texts:
Is it grammatical to use a Present Perfect within a Present Simple, as in:

  This programmer regularly documents any change he has recently made in his code.

?

If the answer is positive, what does the above sentence mean to you? Is it ambiguous and equivocal?


texts: What is the meaning of "leaving someone on the mercy" here?

texts:
What's the meaning of the phrase "leaving us on the mercy of God" in the following statement:

"By associating with any group, we are disconnecting ourselves from [a
person name] thus leaving us on the Mercy of God."


texts:
I cannot place any meaning of the "tend" from the dictionary in the following sentence for having an acceptable concept:

  There tends to be a lot of obsidian flakes and chips in the hearth
  ashes, but no chimney.


texts:
walking disaster

  His stern expression melted into a smile at the sight my shirt, and then he dabbed my face with a towel.

The strong text doesn't make sense unless we put the preposition "of" to be like: at the sight of my shirt.


texts: Are there different meanings of "to drop something"?

texts:
I know that I can drop something: I accidentally make it fall to the ground.

But I want to know if I can use it in other ways like: I was trying hard to finish the task, but I dropped it. Meaning: I stopped trying to finish it.

If the second sentence is not correct, are there any other definitions of "to drop"?


texts: "Begin" or "Beginning"... which one should be used?

texts:
The text bellow is part of the lyrics of a song from a Brazilian singer called Raul Seixas - The name of the song is "How could I know":

"Reformulation, rearrange the game you're in

Let us start from the begin

With confidence you'll win

That's the reason you were born"

The correct here wouldn't be to use "Let us start from the beginning" instead of "Let us start from the begin"? Or are both forms acceptable?


texts: Placement of adverbial phrase before or after recipient of a verb

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between these sentences:

I will complain to our boss against you in the office.
I will complain against you to our boss in the office.
I will complain to our boss in the office against you.


texts: what difference between used to & to be used to?

texts:
I would like to know what difference between the two following phrases:

I used to smoke when I was in United States.
I'm used to living alone.

Is it correct to say "I'm used to live alone when I was teenager" Does it the same meaning?


texts: What are some other ways of saying "I don't believe you"? I have been able to think of a few answers, but most of them contain the verb "believe", but can you think of one without it? All I could think of was: bullshit, nonsense and other words like that, but I can't think of any idiom or phrase without the verb "believe". Is there any good idiom or phrase you can think of?


texts:
How should you read the number 1.5?

Should I read it as

  one and half

or

  one and a half

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Is "You are the one who I want to be with" correct?

texts:
I saw a quote on the internet:

  "If someone asks me who I want to be with, I would simply say".

If I use a part of this sentence and put words like this:

  "You are the one who I want to be with."

Will it be correct?


texts:
"enclosure" has the meaning "attachment", can it be used in an e-mail?

Are they the same in this meaning?


texts: Plural or singular when using multiple subject

texts:
If I say

  Martin and John consider it possible

I would think that "Martin and John" makes the verb "consider" plural, which is the same situation as

  The guys consider it possible

or

  They consider it possible

But I have heard that if I can take each out of the names out, it becomes singular, so that the correct way to write the first sentence would be

  Martin and John considers it possible

because I am able to say "Martin considers it possible" and "John considers it possible".

Which one is correct?


texts: Is this sentence grammatically correct? "Where"

texts:
I would like to know if there is any grammatical error in this sentence. Specially, the last part of the sentence when using the word "where".

  All account types will be based on profiles, individual and entity profiles, where general profiles for each account are automatically created by default.

thanks in advance


texts: Is "product I want to have made" and "product I want to be made" grammatical?

texts:
I was trying to write something, but then it occurred to me it doesn't sound quite right.

  Here is the blueprint of the product I want to have made. Can you make
  it for me?

It doesn't sound quite idiomatic, so I was wondering if it was correct. Also, is the alternate version any better or equally wrong?

  Here is the blueprint of the product I want to be made. Can you make
  it for me?


texts: What do you call a sudden movement of the neck and head that you do when you think about something stupid or do something stupid?

texts: I am not sure if there's a word for that, but sometimes you may imagine yourself doing something stupid and then twist and shake your head for a brief second, what is that movement called? Is there even a word for it? It doesn't have to be the neck and the head only, because I am not sure how other people "physically" react.


texts:
I've stumbled upon a post in a Russian community, which teaches English, that says that "rather" isn't used (is avoided) in modern English, instead "quite" and "really" are used. However, I can't believe it since I know that there's a difference between "rather", "quite", and "really". Take for example this sentence:

The room is rather small.

"Rather" means "not too big" here. If we place "quite" instead then it will mean "not that big" while if we place "really" then it will mean "it's not big at all". "really" sort of means "very"

So is it true that "rather" is avoided in Modern English?


texts: If “to f---” means to have sex, what does this idiom mean?

texts:
We all know that fuck means to have sex, so what does it mean when a speaker says fuck you?

If fuck me means the speaker is asking someone else to have sex have with them, then what does fuck you mean?


texts: The usage of the words "saturate" and "saturation"

texts:
I need to know how shall I substitute the verb saturate and its respective noun saturation in the meaning in my question!

Please consider the following self-made sentences and the bold parts:

  She made me saturated of love! (she was so kind and gave me so much love so that I don't feel any need or greed for getting love from another woman)
  Now, I am saturated with love and all these experiences. Because, I've had enough so far!
  I have reached the saturation degree in stuff like that.

This is how we say these sentences in a polite/formal situation in our language, but according to the dictionaries' explanations, the only possible word to convey this message is "saturation" and subsequently "saturate"!

I have no idea if this word works here properly or if not how should I imply the same messages in natural English?


texts: "Forgery" Vs. "Counterfeiting" Vs. "Fabrication"

texts:
Would you be kind enough to tell me which one of the following choices fit the sentence bellow:

Scenario: let's suppose you are informing police about a workshop in which some forgers are making fake money there;

I'm sure; those guys are ........... money in that workshop.

  a) forging

  b) counterfeiting

  c) fabricating

For me there is no nuance between these three verbs at all; so asking this question I hope I can realize the semantic nuance between these three verbs in usage.


texts: "I have no room / I have no space" Which one sounds better?

texts:
I have no room in my house

or

  I have no space in my house

Which sounds better?


texts: Is "You're going so much to beautiful beaches." correct? It sounds a bit weird to me. Would you rephrase it? It means you're going to go to the beach a lot. I just rephrased it but is that one good?


texts: Is "Is there to meet you tomorrow possible" possible?

texts:
Can you please tell me which sentence is the best choice in terms of grammar. I presume that the third sentence is impossible but I am not able to find out the reason

1. Is it possible to meet you tomorrow?

2. Is to meet you tomorrow possible?

3. Is there to meet you tomorrow possible?


texts: "the most active and energetic" or "the most active and most energetic"?

texts:
She is the most active and energetic social worker in our club.

My grammar book is saying this is wrong and it should be:

  She is the most active and most energetic social worker in the club.

Why is the first sentence wrong? And what is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?


texts:
Instead of using words like shallow or superficial to describe a thought or an idea, we tend to like to phrase it in a way that sounds less offensive but still delivers the message.

Above is a sentence I wrote in an article on euphemism. There are two parts that I am concerned about.
First, "tend to like to" comes off as both odd and redundant. I guess the meaning won't change much if "like to" is omitted. However, in google ngram I did find a handful of cases where such expression is used.
The other thing that I am not quite sure about is the "but" following after "offensive". The idea of the "but" here was to emphasize the importance of delivering the message as it is while using euphemism. And the "but" is placed there to modify "the way". But I don't know if it sounds right to you. It somehow sounds a little bit clunky to me. Below is the rewritten version:

...to phrase it in a less-offensive way without changing the message.


texts:
The book I use to learn English has this example sentence,

To tell the truth, I do not want to go to the party tomorrow
because the examinations begin the day after tomorrow.

I think this should be 'because the examinations will begin ~'

Which is correct?


texts:
Which one is correct?

1- Sachin Tendulkar has earned more reputation than any other cricketer has ever done is history.

2- Sachin Tendulkar has earned more reputation than any cricketer has ever done is history.


texts:
Does "the repellant effect of religion" mean "the effect produced by religion that (the effect) is impervious to reasons"?

As it’s said, “success has many fathers,” and so it is with getting our fellow Americans to see the light of reason. We can credit our existential security; our educational, scientific, and technological advancement; the shift in family size and the role of women in society; and the repellant effect of religion as handmaid to reactionary politics. But to my mind, not enough attention has been paid to the impact made by the writers of new atheism: Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Hirsi Ali, and Hitchens.

Source:  Give The Four Horsemen (And Ayaan) Their Due. They Changed America.


texts: "Confirmation for" versus "confirmation of"

texts:
I've seen people use both confirmation for and confirmation of, and I'm wondering if they mean the same thing or they have slightly different implications.

  After you are done reviewing the attached essay, please confirm your receipt of it.

  After you are done reviewing the attached essay, please confirm your receipt for it.

I think the second usage is wrong because I've seen people use "x.com order confirmation for your recent order", but not  "x.com order confirmation of your recent order".

They seem interchangeable, but at some point they don't seem.

I guess I basically have two questions. I didn't even realize I was asking about "receipt of/for".

Which of the following sentence is correct?

  I need your confirmation for the essay I sent you.

  I need your confirmation of the essay I sent you.

I think that of is definitely more common, but can for be correct in this case? I'm so confused about this usage that I usually leave everything out and say "please review the attached essay and confirm receipt." Is this a full, grammatically acceptable sentence?


texts:
From Genesis 34:12 -

  Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as
  ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife. (KJV)

  Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as
  you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young
  woman as my wife.’ (NIV)

.

Please someone clarifies me how it is possible that he is ready to give everything for her while he wants her family "never" ask so much dowry and gift from him.


texts:
Kojève had a famous sense of humor and here, as in many of his letters and interviews, it is not entirely clear how serious he is being. But beneath the irony and archness Strauss saw something that, while it earned his intellectual respect, also horrified him.

Could you tell me the meaning of "archness" in the context of the above clause. Does it mean some figure of speech or something similar?


texts: Which word should I use, "master" or "Master"

texts:
When I am writing a personal statement, I am confused by the word "master". I don't know weather I can use the lower case because that's showed in the dictionary. But my friend from the UK told me that I should use "Master".
So, which one is correct?

My short-term goal is to specialize in data science through this master's programme.
My short-term goal is to specialize in data science through this Master's programme.


texts: Which fits better "more important" or "more importantly"?

texts:
Sorry - I always think the question is obvious when plainly it is not.

Should I use "important" or "importantly" in the introductory phase of this sentence:

"Appellant's argument is premature.

  More important, the argument lacks merit.

or

  More importantly, the argument lacks merit.


texts:
I'm not a native English speaker and always get confused with this expression. For instance:

  Me: What's the current state of [some subject] discussion?
  Bob: There is none. It was brought up in the past and was rejected.
  Me: Last time I checked, it seemed like we couldn't decide which route to take for [specific topic].
  Bob: there you go :-)

If it wasn't for the smile emoticon I would be in trouble to interpret it was a positive reaction though I still don't know what it means exactly.

It happens in other contexts too and I usually pretend I understand it. What does it usually mean?


texts:
Which of the following are correctly formed?

  Tomorrow I get up at half past six.

or

  Tomorrow I will get up at half past six.


texts: How to understand "alone of everyone" in this context

texts:
He made a small choking noise, then looked round at Kingsley and the man with short grey hair, who alone of everyone in the room had remained entirely silent so far.

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I don't quite understand the grammar of "alone of everyone". It seems to say Kingsley stands away from everyone else in the room. Is "alone of" a collocation?


texts:
From her [Joad’s mother] position as healer, her hands had grown sure and cool and quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgment as a goddess. She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone.
  (John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath)

Is there an omitted relativizer (that or which) after the family? Even if there's an omission, do you have any difficulty grasping the meaning at once, without hesitation or second thought?


texts: "The way it's going to work" versus "how this is going to work"

texts:
Let's say I am working on some project which has very many steps or stages, and I am supposed to explain their order to my colleagues:

The way it's going to work is A will do X first then C will do Y etc.
How this is going to work is A will do X first then C will do Y etc.

Are these expression correct? Do they sound natural?


texts: Can we use the verb "arrive" with the preposition "to"?

texts:
I don't think the verb arrive can be used with the preposition to. I'm certain about it, but of course I had to come here, since I was reading news on Dailymail and in the news there was a sentence which seemed wrong to me:

  ...the man continues to lead her through the house reassuring her while
  reminding her: 'No peeking!'When they arrive to the room where the
  surprise is stored the man behind the camera begins to sing Happy
  Birthday to Bianca at which point she removes her blindfold."


texts:
Is this a correct title for an article, etc:

  Airplane and the system of its emergency airplane-door locks

?

It seems its cannot be used in this phrase.

Which is correct/prefered for a title:

  Airplanes and the system of their emergency airplane-locks
  Airplanes and the systems of their emergency airplane-locks
  On Airplanes and the system of their emergency airplane-locks
  On an Airplane and the system of its emergency airplane-locks
  The system of emergency airplane-locks of an airplane


texts:
I am learning this MIT course.

The professor said:

  In past terms we compared a human genome to a rat genome, and
  discovered they were pretty similar.

What does "In past terms" mean?

I listened to this point many times, and this does not sound like "In past times".


texts: Does that expression mean "I'm totally sure" or "I'm almost sure"? I always thought the first option was correct, but once I saw in a series episode a character who said that, and his interlocutor expressed skepticism about it (something like "Are you sure or pretty sure?"). Does that depend on context, or does it always mean the same?


texts: What is the agent noun for verbs ending in -y?

texts:
What is the correct way of spelling it, and what would the rule be for -y verbs like retry.
Is it retryer or retrier?
That is, on -y verbs, is the y kept or substituted by i?


texts: Annoyed ‘by’, ‘for’, ‘to’ or ‘because of’

texts:
Let’s imagine few disciples of a priest have committed crimes by misusing their power and that makes the priest very annoyed. Now, which preposition should I use in the sentence below which describes the scenario?

“The priest is very annoyed (by/for/to/because of/something else) his disciples.”


texts:
"The old-fashioned officers whom they encountered appeared to be 'ivory from the neck up'."

From the sources I have searched, the word ivory does not appear to have any specific or metaphorical value. Thus how should I understand the expression in italics?


texts: Is widespread influence grammatically correct? Also, is it the right way to say it? Thanks


texts:
Is there a word for a job that doesn't actually contribute to increasing productivity in a country and even if you make them disappear, it won't change the way people live or the country's economical prosperity for example being a street vendor, a busker, a clergyman who just preaches and talks around and receives money, fortunetellers, or a person who sells cigars along the street (like a vendor). Usually these jobs are frowned upon by economists.

In my native language there is a word for it that its literal translation is a pseudo-job. Is there an English word for this kind of jobs?

Edit: To make the meaning clearer I add an example from a context: I saw a local newspaper headline going like this: "Our skilled labor force now in danger of doing pseudo-jobs." In the article it argues that we cannot provide our skilled experts with job opportunities that they can benefit us most. As a result they start pseudo-jobs like being mourners, vendors, fortune tellers, flyer distributors, etc.

If you want to write this piece of news in English, how would you go?


texts: What is the single word that means "part of speech"

texts:
Part of speech refers to the linguistic categories for words or lexical items, such as noun, verb, adjective and adverb, etc.

Which is the single word meaning "part of speech" exactly?


texts:
He gives accounts both of A and of B.

He gives accounts both of A and B.

Are both 1 & 2 valid ? Is there any difference?


texts: To whom does his refers to in this sentence?

texts:
Source

  One day Red tells Tommy about Andy's case. Tommy is visibly upset at hearing Andy's story and tells Andy and Red that he had a cellmate in another prison who boasted about killing a man who was a pro golfer at the country club he worked at, along with his lover.

In this above sentence, To whom does his refers to?


texts: Why this But not limited to ? I think includes enough for this. Is it necessary to use but not limited to?

texts: Malpractice includes, but is not limited to: –    attempting to cheat in any way, including using notes of any kind from   any source.– helping another candidate to cheat.–    impersonating another candidate or having another candidate   impersonate you.– copying the work of another candidate.   – disrupting the test in any way. – reproducing any part of the test in any medium. – attempting to alter the data on the Test Report Form.


texts: What does “addressing” mean in the below context?

texts:
It also represents a symbolic end to Russia's often tortured process of addressing the repressions of the Soviet era.

What does “adressing” mean here? I’ve looked it up  in several dictionaries, and cannot decide which one actually fits the context here.

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!


texts: 'Since' implies George Washington is an independent run or not?

texts:
While no independent has won the presidency since George Washington,
  Democrats fear that Schultz would almost certainly split their vote
  and give Trump an easier path to re-election.

'Since George Washington' means from George Washington or from the next after George Washington?

Let assumption that there was a female president A. Then after A, all the presidents are males. A's successor is B. So we can say,

  There was no female president since A.

or

  There was no female president since B.


texts: Are these pretzels? Or how can I name it correctly in English?


texts: Is the phrase "have enabled to" correct?

texts:
I came across the following expression in a paper:

  Here, we have enabled to express X in terms of Y.

Is the above expression correct? It seems to me more correct to say, "... we have been enabled to express ...", but I am not sure.


texts:
Which is correct:

  Of all the people names in all the world's countries, the most common is Muhammad.

  Of all the people's names in all the world's countries, the most common is Muhammad.


texts:
Here is a quote from Peter Benchley’s Jaws: “That’s a pretty shitty trick.”

I would like to know how common this expression is in English, and under what circumstances/instances is used. (That is, what exactly it means and what ironic degree do we have here).

I know that “pretty” can be used ironically, but to me as a non native, it sounds pretty odd.

So, would you please explain it in detail so that I can get a better understanding?


texts:
"Ach," laughs the baker's wife, "such a funny man, the Count."

  "I knew you'd like that," Dracula says, forcing a chuckle, "now get out of my way." At last he opens the front door but time has run out on him.

  "Oh, look, mama," says the baker, "the eclipse must be over. The sun is coming out again."

  "Right," says Dracula, slamming the front door. "I've decided to stay. Pull down the window shades quickly— quickly! Let's move it!"

  "What window shades?" asks the baker.

  "There are none, right? Figures. You got a basement in this joint?"

Dose it refer to baker and his wife and is the polite way to call someone?

This passage is from a story named: Count Dracula by Woody Allen.


texts:
"The criminally poor always face a plethora of problems, but if your a wealthy elite on the other hand, then that's a whole different story"

Is it possible to use "on the other hand" in this sentence like this?


texts:
Does the following sentence sound correct in the term of grammar?

"Subscriptions were enabled and auto-renew options disabled."

There is no verb in the second part of the compund sentence. However, this verb can be easily understood from the context.

Is it still better to say: "Subscriptions were enabled and auto-renew options were disabled"? Or maybe we can use a dash instead of the verb ("Subscriptions were enabled and auto-renew options – disabled"?

Please advise.


texts: Can relative clauses be placed not just after the antecedent?

texts:
In order to keep the colony size down, a predator is introduced which keeps the colony size by eating bacteria.
  The idea was interesting which she put forward.

Can relative clauses follow its antecedent not directly like the sentences above? Are both sentenses  grammatically right?


texts:
What does "over its turn" mean?

  In Washington, the mere threat of another large turnout from the far
  right, coupled with a large turnout from the far left — among them,
  hundreds of black-clad, masked and helmeted anti-fascist protesters
  known as antifa — seemed to indicate that the United States was not
  over its turn toward European-style politics by street protest.

Source: NY Times news article

Can you make an easier sentence with using this phrase to make it earsier to understand?


texts:
How significant is the word "For" in constructions like, "I was hoping we could talk (for) a while."

If we left out the "For" in constructing similar sentences, would that grammatically incorrect?


texts:
It appears to me that you can either say 'for a while' or 'awhile' because 'awhile' is an adverb and by itself means "for a while". Am I right? I'm asking it since I've seen 'for awhile' even in the Longman dictionary here:

  Once you power them up and get a topic, what you see is people can glide for awhile on that topic.
  But if you rented a place to stay for awhile you would know.


texts: What does it mean “No large part of America has ever been entirely off-limits to judicial authority”

texts:
It is hard for me to understand the meaning of the bold sentence below, has America ever had territory outside of judicial authority, the only explanation so far I have is probably territory like San Juan Puerto Rico, but I am not 100% sure.

  The bargain at the heart of our government has always been that privacy matters enormously, but it must yield when, with appropriate evidence and oversight, the government needs to see into private spaces to protect the community. No large part of America has ever been entirely off-limits to judicial authority. President Obama was, by background and instinct, a civil libertarian, but he could see the darkness and the danger in talking about privacy as an absolute value, as he explained publicly in Austin, Texas, in spring 2016: ....

The excerpt is from James Comey's book A Higher Loyalty (Flatiron, 2018). The context is related to encryption of the information that Apple and Google set by default on their devices/ services.


texts:
“Eat the Greek way”

vs.

  “Eat in the Greek way”

Are these sentences both correct?
Have they the same meaning?
Is there a difference in the grammar structure?
Is there a rule that explains when to use the preposition “in”
    before “way”?


texts:
No distance left to run.

Can you help me with understanding of the meaning of the above phrase? In which context is it used?


texts: Is it grammatical to use adverb between "have" and "been" in present perfect: "They should have actually been insured against everything."

texts:
They should have actually been insured against everything.

Is it correct to use adverb between the two components of present perfect i.e. have and been?


texts: The countability of "memoir" and "stocktaking" in this sentence

texts:
I find two nouns in this sentence from a Time article very strange.

  The Atlantic columns are enriched with personal memoir, and a stocktaking, as Coates takes the reader through his own life and reflects on how the columns relate to the present.

The noun memoir, as far as I know, should be a count noun. This apparently is supported by dictionaries, see here and here. I would have said:

  The Atlantic columns are enriched with personal memoirs

Is this a mistake on the part of the Time editor?

On the other hand, I thought stocktaking was uncountable (again, so say the dictionaries, here and here). I thought people normally say "I got some stocktaking to do." or "It's time for stocktaking." However, I did find an example sentence on Merriam Webster that reads:

  It is time for a stocktaking.

Giving it more thought, I can sort of understand why stocktaking is used countably sometimes. My guess is it is similar to reality checks or inventory checks, depending on the usage. But when is it a count noun and when a mass noun? Does it depend upon the meaning?


texts:
There are many definition of commit but in this context, I don't sure which definition is.

  Yet in those people who were sleep-deprived, we actually couldn’t find
  any significant signal whatsoever. So it’s almost as though sleep
  deprivation had shut down your memory inbox, and any new incoming
  files — they were just being bounced. You couldn’t effectively
  commit new experiences to memory.

Source : https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower/transcript#t-44349 (03:13)


texts: Which is correct: "[..] make the full overall list." or "[..] make up the full overall list." or "[..] make the full overall list up."?

texts:
Which is correct: "These ten sub-lists together make the full overall list." or "These ten sub-lists together make up the full overall list." or "These ten sub-lists together make the full overall list up."?
I'm not sure whether the phrasal verb (i.e., adding "up") is needed here, because I know that "to make up" also means "to invent".
I'm also not sure whether the "up", if it goes there, should be at the end or in between.
Update: The only  answerer is apparently not sure, so, any other answers?


texts:
I asked a following question on a support forum.

  I have a build a custom theme using Understrap and now I am selling it
  via WordPress(free version) and ThemeForest (Paid version)....

  Now I saw that there is a new update for understrap...

  How do I update my themes with those updates?

I got following answer for that.

  If I'm not mistaking. You need to put on a pot of coffee, put on your
  favorite album, and start diffing

What is the meaning of that answer. I have no idea about how that answer related to my question?


texts: What's the difference between "rub" and "rub at"?

texts:
Example sentences:

She rubbed (at) the stain on her shirt.

A similar case:

He wiped (at) the stain with the face towel.

Is the meaning the same? Or different?


texts: Confusion with the correct usage of either and neither

texts:
I have no idea which of the following is correct (or at least, better to use):

  I am not going to hurt you, but I am not going to protect you either.
  I am neither going to hurt you nor protect you.
  I am not going to hurt you, but I am not going to protect you neither.

Is there a general rule for not confusing between nether and either? I remember from my English classes that either is for positive sentences and neither is otherwise, but does it literally means a sentence with positive and negative verbs or what?


texts:
I started out lying only when my about-to-be-whipped ass needed saving, but then quickly developed thanks to my, not boasting, superior understanding and thinking skills

The above lines are from a private page. Is there any meaningful word replacement for "not boasting"?


texts:
What is the difference between the sentences below when the situation  is a state condition.

A man is sitting in the Room.
A man is seated in the Room


texts: What is the best way to express "clothes" regarded as a single starting with "This is"?

texts:
Look at this sentence: This is my beautiful clothes.

I think it is grammatically incorrect because "clothes" is always plural.

I know "these are my beautiful clothes." is grammatically perfect. But it doesn't actually reflect what I want to say, for it might indicate that there's more than one article of clothing.

What is the best way to express one article of clothing starting with "This is" ?

Is "This is my piece of clothes" okay ?


texts: Context: in university, some students transfer from one study programme to another. A manual has been written for them. Is it more natural to call it a "transfer manual" or a "transferral manual"? What is the difference between these terms anyway? Is "transferral" the UK spelling?


texts:
I came across this:

  The phone rang when Tom was on the point of leaving.

As I usually use "at the point of leaving", are both possible?


texts:
What is a natural response to "Good to see you. How you doing?"?
Will a natural response include "doing" as in "I'm doing okay" or will "I'm okay" be more natural?


texts: I don't understand this system requirement expression: "... running some years into this period."

texts:
"The service life for the xxx system shall be more than twenty years with the need for refurbishment running not less than fifteen years into this period."

What does this sentence exactly mean? I understand the service life has to be more than 20 years, but the part "running not less than 15 years into this period." isn't clear to me. Does it mean that the system has to operate for at least 15 years without refurbishment?


texts: What is a better way of saying "I am in right way?"

texts:
I am in group conversation and I want say if I'm on the right track. If I'm going in this "direction", I will have a good results. Which can be the expression that resumes this thought?

"I am in right way?"

Note: My English level is medium, please tell me if the my phrases is good or bad (e.g. 2 on 1 to 10)


texts: What does "as...as" mean in this sentence?

texts:
This sentence is taken from Chapter 1 of Barack Obama's new book 'A promised land':

"It seemed like it sprang out of nowhere, as grassroots a political campaign as anything mordern politics had ever seen."

Can anyone explain why there are 2 nouns following the first 'as'? Thanks in advance.


texts: Present perfect vs present continuous and grammaticality

texts:
I have been listening to this song on repeat for the last couple of months and I still haven't got tired of it.

I've been listening to this song on repeat over the last few months and i still haven't got tired of it.
I have listened to this song on repeat over the last couple of months and I still haven't got tired of it.

Which of these two sentences means the same or is nearest to the meaning of the first, un-numbered sentence? Do both the sentences, 1 and 2 mean the same thing and are all three sentences grammatically correct?


texts:
In which class do you study?
  Which class do you study in?

Which one is the correct sentence, and why?
Explain it in detail.
Why the preposition is used at the end of sentence, and in the beginning as well?
May I know the reason behind it please?
Thanks in advance.


texts:
In English, there are five different types of finite clauses:

  declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamative, and optative

Here are examples:

  (1) You are generous. [declarative]

  (2) Are you generous? How generous are you? [interrogative]

  (3) How generous you are! [exclamative]

  (4) Be generous. [imperative]

  (5) May you be generous. [optative]

I know that an imperative clause cannot be used as a subordinate clause, and that a declarative, interrogative, and exclamative can.

What about 'optative'?
Can an optative clause ever be used as a subordinate clause?

For example, how can you change this into reported speech?

  I said, "May you be generous."


texts: Three prepositions in a short sentence: Isn't that a clumsy sentence?

texts:
I want to say that once the Christmas tree had been decorated, the kids started to look at it in awe.

The sentence that I might write may read:

  The fir-tree has/had (already) been decorated and looked at by the kids in awe.

What sort of embarrasses me is the sequence of the prepositions "at by" and the near "in' which to me, seems rather clumsy. "

  …looked at in awe by the kids",

again, to me, reads no less clumsy.

Is there a way to convey the idea some other way, grammatical and colloquial/readable?

My variant is:

  The fir-tree (having been) decorated, the kids looked at it in awe;

although the "at it in awe" part to me, reads somewhat funny too, like "ta-ti-ti-ta" or somewhat like that.


texts:
Tom says:

I saw a dog I had never seen before running about in the street on its own.

Pete replies:

a. Maybe one of your neighbors bought a new dog that escaped.
b. One of your neighbors might have bought a new dog that escaped.
c. One of your neighbors might have bought a new dog and it escaped.
d. One of your neighbors might have bought a new dog and it might have escaped.

Which of the above sentences are grammatically correct and acceptable in this context?


texts: Which is correct; ‘proof for’ or ‘proof of’?

texts:
Which is the correct preposition to follow ‘proof’ in this context:

  Most student enroll at unuversity with the aim of getting the degree required for a particular job. One good proof for/ of this is a recent survey conducted in some Egyptian universities......

Should I write ‘for’ or ‘of’?


texts:
What is the difference between secretary and personal assistant?

  Also - keep in mind that for high-level execs or company owners, the jobs is not secretary or admin assistant, it is personal assistant.


texts:
I just watched a TV show and the guy says:

  I ain't trying to fight with nobody with a baby.

So here, I can't understand the "nobody" since it make no sense to me, but it sounds like anybody, and if it's "I ain't trying to fight with anybody with a baby." that makes sense to me.


texts: What are the differences between "I'm broke" and "I don't have money"

texts:
I want know differences between:

  I'm broke.

and:

  I don't have money.

Are they  different expressions? For example, if I say:

  I don’t have money.

can I also say:

  I'm broke.

Any ideas or insight would be greatly appreciated.


texts: What does the phrase "get down low" mean?

texts:
What does "get down low" mean in football (soccer) context?
30 min
SAVE! Man Utd are looking so dangerous on the break. This time it's Rooney who leads the charge, picking out Mata on the edge of the box. The Spaniard takes a touch before hitting a powerful strike towards goal but Adrian gets down low to push the shot away. The visitors desperately want that second goal


texts: Big tiles make the floor look/looks bigger

texts:
Big tiles make the floor look bigger.
Big tiles make the floor looks bigger.
Which one is correct? According to my logic, the second verb of this sentence would be looks as its subject is the floor which is a third person singular number. Or it would be look for any other reason? Please let me know with explanation.


texts: Why are tomorrow, yesterday, today nouns not pronouns?

texts:
For example:

  Yesterday was great.

When we say yesterday, we refer the day before today.
Why can’t it be pronoun instead of noun?

According to Longman dictionary tomorrow, yesterday, today can be just noun and adverb. According to the definition of pronouns:

  “A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence. Pronouns are used to avoid repeating the same nouns over and over again. ... Common pronouns include I, me, mine, she, he, it, we, and us”

Here we refer to yesterday that has a name and I think it should be pronoun.


texts:
Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!"

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I am wondering why it's "close to suicidal" instead of "close to suicide"?


texts: 'how deep is your love - I really mean/need to learn'

texts:
I tried googling lyrics for How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees)
but there are two kinds of different chorus lyrics.

  chorus
  how deep is your love
  1. I really mean to learn
  2. I really need to learn

I don't know which one is correct.
when I heard of bee gees song I could hear 'mean to learn'
(at official video of bee gees, I can see mouth closed because of'm')
but Kelly Rowland feat. Michael Buble, I could hear 'need to learn'

and what is the meaning of 'I mean to learn'?


texts: can we use an adjective to describe a verb?

texts:
I am reading an English text about hypnosis. There is a sentence there as follows:

Just keep the idea of calmness pure and simple grow.

pure and simple are both adjectives not adverbs. So how can they describe a verb ( I mean "grow")?

If this doesn't make sense, can you explain what the text is trying to say, and how it can be written so it's less confusing?


texts: Does the given sentence mean how I interpreted it?

texts:
He yelled at me for the mistakes I had made, coming back home.

Does the above sentence mean He came back home and yelled at me for the mistakes I (had) made?


texts: "This year might look and feel a bit different" or "This year might look and feel differently"

texts:
This year might look and feel a bit different, we will all be superheroes together.
This year might look and feel differently, we will all be superheroes together.

Which one is correct?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Meaning of "then as xxx is not so much that"

texts:
I tried to understand this sentence. (IELTS sentence)

  The remarkable thing about many of the medicines dismissed THEN AS 'snake oil' IS NOT SO MUCH THAT they failed to live up to the outrageous claims made for them - those that weren't harmless coloured water could be positively dangerous.

I don't understand the meaning of "then as it is not so much that"

what does it mean?


texts: What is the word that best suits this context?

texts:
I was telling my colleague that a project name cannot be generic (which cannot be easily created on our own). I meant to say the name should follow some standards.

Now could you please tell me whether it is correct to use the word generic here? If not, what else can I use?


texts: What does "run to the left" mean exactly in the context of politics?

texts:
I was reading a Wikipedia page when I ran into this passage:

  Wu and Teachout ran against Andrew Cuomo, the incumbent governor, and Kathy Hochul, an upstate Democrat and former Representative in the House. Teachout and Wu ran to the left of Cuomo and Hochul. Hochul won the race for Lieutenant Governor; Wu took 40% of the popular vote.

Intuitively I understood left to mean Left politics as in the left wing. From the context, however, it seems the sentence in question is saying Teachout and Wu lost to Cuomo and Hochul. So does run to the left of mean be beat by? Does left carry the sense of not as good as?

If left here indeed refers to the political left, is "run to someone's left" idiomatic?


texts:
Which conjugation for the verb "born" is correct? "Born" or "be born"? I mean:

-One baby borns every day all around the world. // One baby is born every day all around the world.

-I born the first of September,1999// I am born the first of September,1999

-Good ideas born from those who expect patiently.//  Good ideas are born from those who expect patiently.

Which one is correct? the first one("born") or the second one("be born")?


texts: Should I include “as a” for every item in a list of jobs, or just the first item?

texts:
I have a doubt: should I write:

  I worked as a teacher, as housekeeper manager, as a Rep, etc.

or

  I worked as a teacher, housekeeper manager, Rep, etc.


texts: How to tell past tense when we met to someone

texts:
"you were my teacher when i was in standard  4th. You thought me English"
OR
"You were my teacher when i was in standard  4th. You had thought me English"
OR
"You were my teacher when i was in standard  4th. You would or use to teach me English.

Which one should be correct to say?


texts:
Can I use "it" as a verb object  ?
I enjoy it that I go to Chicago.
I do not mind it that you smoke at my room.


texts:
I have read about were to in http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/wereto.html that were to can be used in the sense of present,pastand future. The website describes about were to as follows:

Were to in the Present

  FORM

  [If ... were to + verb ..., ...]

  USE

  Were to can be used in the present to emphasize that the conditional form is extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible. Notice that this special form is only used in the if-clause.

  Examples:

  If she were to be rich, she would be horribly obnoxious.
  It is very unlikely that she would be rich.

  If I were to have no friends, who would I spend my time with?
  Having no friends is a horrible thought.

  If Nathan were to be my boss, this job would be intolerable.
  Nathan's being my boss is a horrible concept.

Were to in the Future

  FORM

  [If ... were to + verb ..., ...]

  USE

  Were to can be used in the future to emphasize that the conditional form is extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible. Notice that this special form is only used in the if-clause.

  Examples:

  If I were to lose my job next year, I would probably not find a new one quickly.
  Losing my job would be terrible.

  If he were to fail his driving test tomorrow, he would have to take it again.
  He is not likely to fail his driving test.

  If Sarah were to show up late to the birthday party, it would ruin the surprise.
  Sarah will surely come on time.

Were to in the Past

  FORM

  [If ... were to have + past participle ..., ...]

  USE

  Were to can be used in the past to emphasize that the conditional form is extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible. Notice that this special form is only used in the if-clause.

  Examples:

  If the fire were to have destroyed the building, it would have been a tragic cultural loss.
  The thought of such a loss is too horrible to consider.

  If the dam were to have burst , the entire town would have been destroyed.
  Such destruction is too horrible to consider.

  If Sarah were to have failed the final test, she would have lost her scholarship.
  She is an excellent student, and it is very unlikely that she would have failed the test.

Can I use second form of verb or past participle in the place of were to without changing the meaning of sentences? If it conveys the same meanings as 'were to' does, Can I use simple past instead of using 'were to' ?

For present

  If she became rich, she would be horribly obnoxious.

  If I didn't have friends, who would I spend my time with?

For past

  If the fire had destroyed the building, it would have been a tragic cultural loss.

  If Sarah had failed the final test, she would have lost her scholarship.

For future

  If I lost my job next year, I would probably not find a new one quickly.

  If he failed his driving test tomorrow, he would have to take it again.


texts:
Consequently, Euclid did not just furnish proofs; he furnished them
  within this axiomatic framework.

I google "furnish", it comes up with 3 meanings.

But seems none of them fit the case. I guess it means "finish" in this case, isn't it?

[Edit]  The second definition seems not to fit, because I thought "someone" is the subject, which refers to people, not an object.


texts: Something is not what it seems at first sight

texts: I want to write that though something seems to be a nonsense at first sight, it is generally not nonsense and means something. The first way to express my thoughts which came to my mind was something like: "Seemingly nonsense, it still does make sense if we consider it more closely". Could you please comment on my attempt to write a grammatically correct sentence? And is it better to use "seeming" instead of "seemingly"?


texts: "I'm going to invite..." VS "I'll invite"

texts:
The task is:

  Read these two sentences. Chose the one where Mike has already planned
  to invite Daisy to St.-Petersburg.

  I'm going to invite Daisy to St.-Petersburg.
  I'll invite Daisy to St.-Petersburg.

I think the second one is correct as we are talking about immediate decision. "To be going to" is used for intention whereas he's just made up his mind. The key says about the first variant.


texts: Is "through heat or cold" an idiom in English? Are there other expressions of the same meaning?

texts:
I came across the phrase "through heat or cold" in the Economist,

  Hunting lay at the heart of that doctrine: the virile business of learning to shoot straight, to track beasts through brutal heat or cold and to master “buck fever”—a nervous excitement felt in the face of prey that must be suppressed by effort of will.

I've never seen such an expression before. I guess it means to endure the severe hot or bitter cold weather.  Is "through heat or cold" an idiom in English? Are there other expressions with the same meaning?


texts:
Shall I come over to your place?

Why is it "come" rather than "go" ?


texts:
Which one is correct? If all are correct, do they mean different things?

  We haven't eaten at home until recently.

  We didn't eat at home until recently.

  We hadn't eaten at home until recently.

Hi everyone, I think 'past perfect tense' and 'simple past tense' both are natural because it implies that I have now eaten at home But I am not sure. Is present perfect also correct? And when should I use present perfect with until recently?

I don't understand how to use "until recently". I would be grateful if you could help me understand the rule of using "until recently".


texts: We’ve got plenty of time. We don’t need to/needn’t hurry

texts:
Do "don’t need to" and "needn’t" mean the same or not? This is a question from an English test:

  We’ve got plenty of time. We ... hurry.

  don’t need to
  needn’t

What's the right answer?


texts: "I want you to science me." - Is this a thing now? Since when is "science" a verb?

texts:
Here is some context:
I am watching a Netflix show called Warrior Nun. It is about a girl "who wakes up in a morgue with a new lease on life and a divine artifact embedded in her back." (Wikipedia).
This girl, Ava, now has supernatural powers. But she doesn't know her full potential and how to use them. So, she goes to the very scientist who has been hunting her all this time, and she makes a deal.

Scientist: What brought you here?
Ava: You were looking for me.
Scientist: I'm a curious person. And, well, you're a curiosity.
Ava: You want to know what I am.
Scientist: The research we do here is cutting edge. But you are something altogether different. I would love to learn what you're capable of and why.
Ava: Seems we have something in common then. I want you to science me.
Scientist: Science you?
Ava: I wanna know everything. So I can figure out for myself what to do about it.
Scientist: Sounds like we can help each other.
Ava: You get your answers. I get mine. And then afterwards, you leave me alone.

Given how the scene is pretty serious (Ava surrendering herself), I don't think this usage is meant to be funny. Although it isn't the "correct" way to use the word science, anyone would totally understand what is meant:

I want you to study me, run tests on me, do your experiments, figure out what is this metal thing in my back, tell me about my powers, etc., etc., etc.

My understanding of "science me" here is "study me, run tests on me, do your experiments".
In this scene, she isn't scared or nervous, and so "babbling" or "gibbering" aren't valid reasons. Ava clearly knows what she wants to say, because after a few minutes of testing and screaming she says

Scientist: I don't know what's possible yet.
Ava: So run more tests.

Questions:

Can we actually use "science" as a verb like that outside of movies in both speech and writing? Can we expect most people to understand the usage and not be confused? Is this only acceptable in informal contexts?

Are other forms — "scienced" and "sciencing" — also possible? Do the following make sense (I made them up):

Biologists have been sciencing day and night to find a cure.
Subjects who are immune to the virus volunteered to be scienced. The secret to the antidote is hidden somewhere in their genes.

(Bonus) Can other words — history, mathematics, philosophy, etc. — be used in similar idiomatic expressions like "science me"?


texts:
I just watched a video on youtube and there was a line:

  I spent many a weekend and evening stacking shelves.

I would like to ask is there such a phrase as "many a weekend"? It seems grammatically incorrect.

Below is the link of the video. The line is at about 2:18.

BBC learning english


texts: Are the gerund forms 'having been + adj./noun..,There being,There having been,etc.' in use?

texts:
Are these  gerund forms  correct / in use?

John's having been late..
There being people at the hotel..
There having been people at the hotel..
People having had cars..

I have no idea how to use these forms in sentences.That's why I couldn't provide perfect examples.(sorry for that)


texts:
I had my lunch half an hour ago, so I'm not hungry and I can't eat anymore.
Is this sentence grammatically correct ?
Or I should use present perfect only ?


texts: A comparison between some structures of the verbs 'Supply' and the verb 'provide'

texts:
For me both the verbs "Supply" and "provide" work in all of the sentences bellow properly, but I doubt if AE native speakers use all of them to convey the same meaning in daily conversations. Though, I need to know which one of the following structures are used more in AmE in order to convey thees meanings?

Question 1)

A) I have no job!
B) Really?! Then...

  How do you supply your expenses?
  How do you provide for your expenses?

Question 2)

  In order to provide water for the city the government has made new decisions.
  In order to supply water to the city the government has made new decisions.
  In order to supply the city with water the government has made new decisions.


texts: What is the name of a room in which hotel staff use to store their equipment and provide room service?

texts: Is there any special word for the room that hotel's stuff regularly use to provide room service for guest rooms? is it something like staff room? or service room?


texts:
Why do they use 'to' preposition in 'rose to popularity' here?

  The Wallace E. Pratt house, also known as the Ship on the Desert, sits
  within the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas. The house was
  the home of scientist Wallace Pratt. It was built in the modern
  “International Style” of architecture that rose to popularity
  beginning in the 1920s.


texts: "Compassion Was the Most Important, Perhaps the Sole Law of Human Existence."

texts:
"Compassion was the most important, perhaps the sole law of human existence.”

  ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot

What may seem the grammatical function of this comma, here? I think, I thought, if a comma marks a phrase, there may seem two . . .

  Compassion was the most important ― perhaps the sole ― law of human existence.

  Compassion was the most important ― perhaps the sole law ― of human existence.

  Compassion was the most important, (perhaps the sole law), of human existence.

  Compassion was the most important, (perhaps the sole), law of human existence.

  Compassion was the most important (perhaps the sole law) of human
  existence.

  Compassion was the most important (perhaps the sole) law of human existence.

  Compassion was the most important, perhaps the sole, law of human existence.

  Compassion was the most important, perhaps the sole law, of human existence.

May any of these seem grammatically proper, and work?


texts: I think "mystery" is an abstract noun but I want to see your explanations.


texts:
This year, the American Association chose as the theme for its annual
  conference some putative connection to storytelling: "Practices of
  Historical Narrative.

I am not sure whether I am understanding this sentence correctly. My understanding is:

American Association chose a theme for their annual conference.
The theme is connected to storytelling.
The storytelling mentioned in this sentence is named "Practices of Historical Narrative"

Am I understanding correctly?


texts: Watching you working hard made my eyes water

texts:
Are these sentence structures correct and idiomatic?

1.It is nice to see you show up on time at work.

2.It is nice to see you showing up on time at work.

3.What a surprise to see you show up/showing up on time at work.

4.Watching/seeing you work/working hard made my eyes water, son.I believe you are going to pass the exam.


texts:
I have a question regarding present perfect continuous tense and past continuous tense. Suppose I am watching a soccer match between England and France. Both the teams are playing well and need a goal to win. Just after a moment, France score a goal. Which of the tenses should I use in the sentence below to express my feeling.

Here's the sentence:

Oh! what an outstanding goal! That's the goal France have been/were looking for.


texts: I arrived in NYC on August 18, 2017 or I arrived on August 18, 2017 in nyc

texts:
I arrived in NYC on August 18, 2017

or

  I arrived on August 18, 2017 in NYC

in English language one puts date of arrival before place of arrival, or the other way around?


texts: "But in a city where people are used to cold winters, life carries on as usual."

texts:
But in a city where people are used to cold winters, life carries on as usual.

Although I can't clearly comprehend this construction, I understand it intuitively, but I want to read something about the rule, so give me something about it, please, if you can.


texts:
I read someone's journal in lang-8.com, he is asking whether "of course" is a polite enough to use because her teacher (which is american) told her "of course" is not so polite because it sounds like the answer is a certainty and no one should not ask such that question.

for example :

Q: Do you like that movie ?

A: Of course, I like it.

come to think of it isn't entirely wrong for me. What about you?


texts: What is the difference between "spoke/speak to" "spoke/speak as to/about"?

texts:
He spoke (as to / to) the issue of racism within the police force
  in the United States.

The two sentences above seem to carry the same meaning to me.  What is the difference in meaning between the two?  Does using "to" instead of "as to" signify the purpose of the speech was to address the issue, whereas "as to" merely means about? Or are the two constructions same in meaning?


texts: Is "butter on toast" an idiom in English

texts:
This is a stanza from Ruskin Bond's poem If Mice Could Roar:

If tortoise could run
And losses be won
And bullies be buttered on toast

I can't understand the phrase bullies be buttered on toast.
By the way, in another stanza of the same poem:

If pebbles could sing
And bells never ring
And teachers were lost in the post;

What is the meaning of post in this context?


texts: how to say someone that glass has been used

texts: Here's the situation : A person has already drunk some water from a glass , and i want to say this to some other person . I am having difficulties understanding what will i say to other . Will it be "This glass has been used ".


texts: “The world better have strong leader” vs. “The world better has strong leader”

texts:
The world better have strong leader

  The world better has strong leader

What's the correct way?

The first one("have") sounds me the correct, but I can't explain why.
The world = it, therefore I wonder if it should be "has".


texts: The easiest thing to do is [to] call for a taxi

texts:
Which is more natural?

  The easiest thing to do is to call for a taxi

or

  The easiest thing to do is call for a taxi

And what do you call this to in grammar terms if any?


texts: Can someone explain the use of "did" when used with a question. Why do we say 'Who invented the bicyle' and not 'who did invent the bicycle?' I know it is incorrect with "did" - but why?


texts:
When we wanna say intention we had in the past, we say

  I was supposed to go to church at the time.

Instead of 'was supposed to', phrases like 'was about to','was meant to', 'would', etc can go between subject and verb with a bit different meanings.

But for all those cases, if there's nothing given about context and time reference, does that sentence imply their intention(to verb) is done after saying that ?

Or does it only means the intention the subject had at that moment, whatever happens after?