texts: How can I explain the difference between 'suppose', 'assume', and 'presume'?

texts:
My boss tends to overuse the word "suppose". He'll say stuff like

  I suppose you received my email?

Now, clearly there are more things wrong with that sentence than just using "suppose" in a context where "presume" or "assume" would be much more idiomatic: to start with, if he wanted to ask a question, he should have asked a question, instead of merely tacking on a question mark (or rather, the corresponding inflection, since this was spoken, not written) to the end of a statement. But let's just stick to word choice for now.

The dictionary definitions of presume, assume, and suppose make them seem pretty much interchangeable.

  presume: to take for granted, assume, or suppose
  suppose: to assume (something), as for the sake of argument or as part of a proposition or theory
  assume: to take for granted or without proof: to assume that everyone wants peace. Synonyms: suppose, presuppose; postulate, posit.

But to my ear, suppose is the wrong word to use in most situations.

  I suppose you are using Internet Explorer.

This is perfectly understandable — idiomatic, even, if delivered with the appropriate sneer — but to me, it means something quite different than

  I assume you are using Internet Explorer.

However, I have been utterly unable to articulate what the difference is, at least not in a manner that gets my point across to my boss.


texts:
Which word would you use in this question, which or what?

At which hotel will we be staying during the conference?
At what hotel will we be staying during the conference?


texts: What word or phrase do you use in American English for going to someone's place on foot to take them somewhere? I am aware that when you go to the person's place by car than you use pick up Can pick up be used for going to someone's place on foot?


texts: When to double the consonant before the suffix "-able"

texts:
I'm not a native English speaker and I was wondering what is the rule that decides whether to write double letter before -able.

In programming, we have abused the (English) language in new ways, needing to name attributes of objects, which are derived from verbs, e.g.:

freezable
pushable
poppable
stoppable
interruptible
mappable

And so on. What is the rule? Does p always repeat while the other letters do not? :)


texts:
What is a more common and natural compliment, "Your something is..." or "You have..."? For example "You have really nice hair" or "Your hair is really nice"?
The issue is that I sent a message to girl "Your hair is really nice" and she corrected me having sent me "You have really nice hair".
I am just confused.


texts: What is the difference between the school and school?

texts:
I  have a question.

If someone says, 'I go to the school near the post office'
Is someone a student of the school or just a visitor who looks around the achool? The thing i am not sure is the use of 'the'  in the sentence whether 'the' is used as a specific school whiich is near the post office even the speaker is a student of that school?

Hope I have explained my question clearly. If not please let me know.

And thanking you in advance:-)


texts: Meaning of “Bulldog drooled courses through his jowls”

texts:
I saw this sentence while I was watching the 17th episode (Season 8) of Modern Family.

  Bulldog drooled courses through his jowls.

I was really confused about its meaning. To give you a bit of its context:

Phill and Clair are reading an email that's sent from a university to inform their son Luke of their admission decision. This university is Phill's alma mater and its mascot is likely to be a bulldog, for Phill says:

  Clair, I am as anxious as you are to find out if he's gonna be a
  Bulldog like his old man.

However, it turns out that Luke is not admitted. Phill's dumbfounded as he says:

  What? He's a legacy! Bulldog drooled courses through his jowls!

I know what each of the words in this sentence means, but this sentence just doesn't make sense to me.

How can someone drool "courses" (which either means meals or a series of lessons) through his jowls?


texts: What articles and when do I use with the phrase "past tense"?

texts:
Let's take a couple of quotes from the Wikipedia article:

The past tense is a grammatical tense whose function is to place an action or situation in past time.

In some languages, the grammatical expression of past tense is combined with the expression of other categories such as Grammatical and aspect (see tense–aspect).

The European continent is heavily dominated by Indo-European languages, all of which have a past tense.

"Past tense" looks like an uncountable noun to me. As such zero article sounds appropriate. Definite article probably might make some sense, although I don't really understand why they sometimes use it, and sometimes not. And the indefinite article is of the highest mystery. How do I count tense?
In other words, when do I use each of those articles with "past tense," and why?


texts:
Is it a strictly grammatical clause, or an idiomatic but ungrammatical short for 'If I die when I am young'?
If it is grammatical, is 'young' used as adverb, or 'die' used as copula, or a valid case of 'verb+adjective'?
Is similar structure common in real life conversations? Can you give me some more examples?


texts: What is the meaning of detour in the following sentences?

texts:
Other than a longer route than usual i couldn't find any other figurative meaning to this word in most dictionaries. So can someone explain the meaning to me -

Sentences

There’s plenty of time, life has so many detours.
Do you see this job as a detour from your ambition?
Could you take me on a detour in American history?

I kind of half-understood this thing.

Could someone please elaborate ?


texts:
Do these sentences have the same meaning?

Imagine this being said to you: And enter my paradise.

Imagine this is being said to you: And enter my paradise.


texts: Does this phrase at the beginning of the sentence need the comma?

texts:
In production, these files should already exist.

I was trying to explain to a non-native English speaker that this sentence needed the comma after production, but when trying to explain the grammar as to why, I realized it was only a feeling I had. When I looked it up, I found this link, which says if a prepositional phrase is less than four words at the beginning, then it does not need a comma.

So, just to clarify, does this need a comma? And what is the reasoning behind the answer?


texts: Is living area very different from residential area?

texts:
I had been living in a big city in Australia for a few years before I moved to other countries in Asia.

Out of curiosity, someone asked me in Whatsapp why I often went to some particular library in Monash.

  "because it was close to my living area...", I said.

Some of them laughed in the whatsapp group, but I did not get it then, I thought they were laughing because of something else.
(I captured some screenshot)

But now I thought it might be the word, living area, so I posted this question.

I should have written residential area, not living area, am I right?

Thank you.


texts: Preposition: Pay attention in your studies

texts:
I think the usual way to say it is:

  Pay attention to your studies.

But is it also acceptable to use in?

  Pay attention in your studies.


texts: Does changing the positions of words in this sentence change the meaning?

texts:
Is the meaning of the sentence:

  the actual presence of a representation

the same as

  the representation of an actual presence?

The author (Merleau-Ponty: Phenomenology of Perception) of the text says it is not, and also commentators says it is paradoxical.

But can't figure out why they are paradoxical?

the actual presence of a representation is a physiological explanation of an phantom limb experience. So maybe the meaning of actual presence is the actual nerve that are remained at the end of the stump are sending signals the brain and is causing an phantom limb (representation)?

the representation of an actual presence is a psychological explanation of an phantom limb experience. So maybe the meaning of this sentence is that the psychological processes in the mind that are causing an actual presence of an phantom limb (representation)? Even though the psychological processes are not real (not actual presence) like the nerve in the body.


texts: How do I make a passive sentence with "be believed"?

texts:
I need to make a new sentence with the verb in brackets:

  Many bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. (to be believed).

I thought it could be

  Many bacteria believed to be resistant to antibiotics.

but it sounds weird to me, because how can bacteria believe anything? How can I rephrase the part in bold to make the sentence grammatical?


texts: Using “used to” vs "would" when expressing something done in the past

texts:
I understand how the phrase "used to" can describe something that was done in the past:

When I was growing up, my parents used to read to me at bedtime.
My dad used to take the family out for ice cream on Sundays in the summertime.

Although these sound fine in conversation, when I see this construct in writing, I often find the word "used" tripping me up. When I'm proofreading my own work, I find myself expecting "used" to be the past tense of the verb use (meaning, "to wield or to utilize"). In other words, when I initially read the word "used," my brain is expecting the word to be used differently – something like:

When I was growing up, my parents used... (a pair of pliers to open pickle jars).
My dad used... (his old t-shirts to wax the car).

So, I'll sometimes reword the original, to eliminate the "used to":

When I was growing up, my parents would read to me at bedtime.
My dad took the family out for ice cream on Sundays in the summertime.

I realize that the construct is plenty common; when I type "my parents use" into Google – both in a web search, and a book search – I find more instances of:

my parents used [to do something]

than:

my parents used [something].

So, my questions:

Is it worthwhile to make such edits? Might others occasionally stumble momentarily as they run across the word used used in that context while reading? (Or maybe that's just me?)

Finally, is there a reason why (or a context where):

My brother used to loan money to his friends.

would be considered better than:

My brother would often loan money to his friends.

I'd be especially interested in answers from both native and non-native speakers of English.


texts: using the verb find or finding in a setence

texts:
I want to know if the sentences below are wrong? If so, why?

  Find the best talent is our job.
  Finding the best talent is our job.


texts:
Sometimes I get confused about when to use for and to.

Example, should I say

  For me, this is the best option.

or

  To me, this is the best option.


texts: Using do/does and be(is/are) in the same question

texts:
I'm not a native English speaker.
We were supposed to use the verb be instead of the verb belong using possessive pronouns.

The question is

Do those toys belong to her?

The answer given by some is

Do those toys are hers?

Isn't it simpler to say:

Are those toys hers?

Sorry for bringing a confusing issue and not stating it properly.
Thanks a lot. I appreciate your concern very much. I enjoy learning English.


texts: "The situation made everyone worried about the future" VS "The situation made everyone worry about the future"

texts:
Confusion between

  The situation made everyone worried about the future.

and

  The situation made everyone worry about the future.

To me, it seems both are grammatical. Clarification would be appreciated.


texts: Is there a word for the cascaded arrangement of playing cards; i.e. the way players hold them in their hands in the form of flower petals? An example would be this image.


texts:
In a blog, I could not understand the meaning of 'could be in for a rocket'.

  TRAVELLERS have voted a dingy resort the worst hotel in Kim Jong-un’s showpiece capital Pyongyang — and the manager could be in for a rocket.

Is it an idiomatic expression? Does it mean that the manager is not available to respond? Or, looking at the Premier's impression, does it mean that now the manager would get a capital punishment?


texts: future in the past or would have+ past participle?

texts: "He would have never dreamed that he would get the grant or that he would have got the grant ? " which is correct? according to most grammars only the first is correct(future i the past) but I gather from sources and spoken language that the second alternative is also correct or is it just tolerated as many other incorrect utterances/expressions are?


texts: Is there an idiom that means "accepting a bad business deal out of desperation"? If you can't think of something that means exactly that, can you think of an idiom that means "accepting less than you anticipated to get out of a business deal", or even more generally "trying to get any deal done"?


texts:
He had left before you came.
He left before you came.

Are the timelines same?


texts: How to distinguish (can not) do from can (not do)?

texts:
How do you distinguish "(can not) (do something)" from "can (not do something) "?

For instance, how to understand

  He can not only kill them.

He has no possibility to kill them, but can do anything else.
He has no possibility to kill them without doing something else.
He can kill them or do something else with them.
He can do anything with them except killing them.
Besides just killing them he can also kill them and do something else to them.


texts:
What is the pronunciation of the word "commenter" from the word "comment"? I would like to know where the word stress is.

You could use this IPA keyboard or upload a recorded copy of your voice online on Forvo.


texts: "I have had this book for 10 years' or "I have this book for 10 years"

texts:
Good day.

Can I say "I have had this book for 10 years" if I want to say that I got the book 10 years ago and I have this book right now and i will have it in the future?

Or should I say "I have this book for 10 years"?

Thank you!


texts: Why is the past simple used in this sentence?

texts:
We haven't gotten a lot of Finnish groups that we liked here at Bananas but I'm pretty happy with this four tracker from Helsinki, apparently recorded in the same place where the Ramones played in the 70's.

I know my question has already been answered. liked is past simple because it is a single action. But I don't agree with it or have not well understood  the answer.

'Bananas' is a music magazine. Every time they receive a record they make a review(like it or not) so this is not a single action and maybe in the future there will be some Finnish band they will like. It may change !!!


texts:
Are these idiomatic? if not, why?

2 coworkers are talking....

Person 1: I'm tired of working for other people. I wish I could have the money to start up my own business and be my own boss.

Person 2: Would really leave your position for having/starting up your own business? Would you change your job for having your own store?


texts: the meaning of "His hands wash together"

texts:
He looks up. Like an after-image, the form of the tears swims in his
  eyes; the picture blurs. He blinks. Someone is walking towards him. It
  is George Cavendish. His hands wash together, his face is a mask of
  concern.

  — Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Does the bold sentence mean that he rubs and wrings his hands?


texts:
Is that sentence idiomatic or it's possible to say it more natural?

He feels in a position to lend her money.


texts:
When I want to ask about some subject in plural meaning which variant is right?

What IS about pictures or What ARE about pictures


texts:
What does "centrism" mean here? Cambridge Dictionary defines it as "the fact that the stated thing is the main interest" and I have no clue what it means in the context below.
My best guess for the time being is that it means that Federal government controls anything the country.  Not sure I am on the right track or not.

In a time of legitimate hacking fears, there were no reports of foreign interference. Our defenses held. On top of all that, the coutcome was moderate: for all the strife and stress of recent years, the split decision amounted to a reassertion of centrism.

Source:  Twitter


texts:
When the word "want" is unstressed, is it pronounced like /wənt/ or /wʌnt/?
https://vocaroo.com/i/s1nUhAfWsc9k


texts:
So I'm reading a set of formal project specifications written by an American.

Among the specifications of the cool device that I'll be making I have a requirement that says that my device needs to support really cool features.
This is then followed by another requirement saying that it needs to support "up to at least" XX really cool features.

Now, my interpretation of that is that up to part defines a maximum value and the at least part defines the minimum value.
Therefore, I'd interpret the entire requirement as wanting exactly XX cool features, not XX-1 or XX+1.
On the other hand, we've already used term "exactly XX" to mean that we really want XX and not XX+1, XX-1 and definitely not XX+2.

So how would I normally interpret this? I know that in this particular case, I can always ask the guy, but I'm not sure if there's a standard interpretation for this phrase or not.


texts: I don't wish to presume or with all due respect

texts:
I was wondering if these two structure has similar meaning and use.

  I don't wish to presume

means I don't want to be rude or have right to do that

  with all due respect

is used when you are going to disagree, usually quite strongly, with somebody.

While the former stress on "not having right" and "not being rude", the latter is stress on " being disagree", the aim basically apparently the same : making suggestion.

I would like to ask which one more suitable when we make suggestions to someone who has higher rank in social ladder such as your boss or professor, especially in an email.


texts: What is the meaning of “Here goes" or “Here it goes"?

texts:
I am quite confused about how to use, "Here goes” or "Here it goes". For example, what, if anything, is the meaning of the following phrase:

  Here goes nothing!


texts:
I was solving a test and came across the following task

  Don't get used to _____ spoiled all the time.

  A) getting   B) get   C) to get   D) to getting

I was sure that the correct answer should be A, but the textbook says that D is correct. I'm not a native speaker but doubled "to" seems a bit stange to me.

Could you please help me to figure out why that option is really correct (if of course it's true)? Thanks in advance!


texts: Is there a name for non-chain, "standalone" stores?

texts:
Some stores like Delifrance, Starbuck, expand their business in my local area, but some traditional stores are going to be eliminated through competition because something happens or maybe they don't have any branches. These traditional stores are usually standalone.

In contrast with Delifrance, Starbuck, which are chain stores, what is the name given to these traditional stores? Are they are called "standalone" businesses or "standalone" stores?

Kitty


texts:
There isn’t any of sugar left
  Or There isn’t much sugar left.

They are from a test. I can’t see how these two sentences wrong. Are they all correct?

If not(even yes), please explain me why.

Thank you!


texts:
I was questioned of my validity of being there with my child in surgery.
  I was questioned of who I was.
  I was asked of my job history and provided a detailed description.

I've come across the sentences on the internet.
I'm not sure whether they sound natural or not.
I think that "of" isn't the correct preposition in those sentences and it should be changed with "on" or "about" because they doesn't make sense if re-written as below

  He questioned me of my validity of being there with my child in surgery.
  He questioned me of who I was.
  He asked me of my job history and provided a detailed description.


texts:
1) "Do you want the designs made in Photoshop?"
2) "Do you want the designs to be made in photoshop?"

Which of these sentences is correct and why? also, what is the difference between the two? Thank you.


texts: Could you paraphrase the following sentence?

texts:
an extraordinary story as fast-paced with as much sheer narrative power as any novel of recent years.

The three usages of “as” made me get confused, and I don’t why with is used with “fast-paced” as long as it is an adjective?


texts: Different prepositions for enumerations, do you need to repeat the adjective

texts:
I have the following sentence and I am wondering if there is a rule or heuristic how to formulate enumerations with the same adjective and different prepositions correctly.

  Recently, I managed to succeed in different disciplines, at different times, and in different places.

How would you improve on this sentence? I wonder whether the repetition of "different" isn't something that sounds too literarily.

Is it correct to say:

  Recently, I managed to succeed in different disciplines, times, and places.

This sounds wrong to me:

  Recently, I managed to succeed in different disciplines, at times, and in places.


texts: Can we remove "because I was" without changing the meaning?

texts:
I fell into a trap, afraid I might screw up.
I fell into a trap because I was afraid I might screw up.

To me these two can mean the same thing, but I am unsure if this is grammatical or not, or if the meaning is different than intended here.


texts: Why do narrators use "would" instead of "would have" when narrating?

texts:
I'm reading a novel;  here's a paragraph (the parts with " are the dialogues and without " the narration):

  "That's just indecent!! Who could have written this!?"

  My face reddened in anger. If I didn't yell something out, I wouldn't be able to hide my shaking!
      Ahh, who did write that!?.

Another different paragraph:

  "Oh my, it's A! Thank you for always looking after B..!"

  "Ah.. Ma'am.. He's also been looking out for.."

  Why are you blushing just from meeting my mom!?

  "Don't get all flustered! It really doesn't feel right! Let's go, A!"

  Since A would continue to space out if I left her here, I grabbed her hand and dragged her out.

So I'm wondering why they use would instead of would have  like in first paragraph I wouldn't be able instead I wouldn't have been able to.
And in second paragraph Since A would continue to instead of Since A would have continued to  I mean since the protagonist is narrating it means it's something that already happened so would have is more appropriate, isn't it?


texts:
"she lives on third floor" "she lives on the third floor"
Are both sentences correct?


texts:
Do the following sentences present acceptable usages for either?

  Either this or that fruit is not tasty.

I do understand I should have said that differently i.e. with a positive statement:

  Neither this nor that fruit is tasty.

But I am particularly interested in the negation. Some more examples for consideration:

  Either fruits are not tasty.
  Either students will not be restricted.
  Either of the lakes are not polluted.
  Either paths have not been taken.

P.S. I am not interested in these classic usages for either in a negation:

  My pal is sober and I am not drunk either. [hic]

  We cannot use either copybook.


texts:
I'd rather you didn't go to work tomorrow, and took care of the baby.

I'd rather you don't go to work tomorrow, and take care of the baby.

Are both the sentences grammatically correct?

What verb tense do we follow "rather" with when talking about present/future situations?


texts:
I’d like to know if it’s idiomatically correct to say the following:

The clouds gather into a storm.

Does the word “gather” make sense in this context?


texts:
I have lied to someone about something, on one occassion, and I want to confess.
Should I say :"I have lied to you", or could I also say: "I have been lying to you", or is the latter only possible if the lying happened multiple times?


texts:
It has been rumored that Nicola Tesla acquired some knowledge from
  this book according to James McCanney.

Why the verb acquired is in the Simple Past tense ?
In my thinking, the verb does not refer to a fixed date in the past and so it has to be has acquired.

If acquired is a shortened form of has acquired, then how could we know the rule of the shortening?

Thank you all.


texts: To what extent compound words are appropriate in English? Are the "onthedownburninghouseresting", "firesurrounded" valid words in English?


texts: When I should use 'at' and when I should use 'in'?

texts:
Here is a sentence by my friend. Can you help me identify which to use here?

  I still remember the days of Kanya bhojan ( an event/festival where you serve food to all the ladies) in/at Lucknow.

Is it in or at ?


texts: How to ask user nicely to upload their profile picture

texts:
I am a web developer by profession and does not have good English writing/speaking skills.

I want to ask my website visitors to upload their profile picture after they have created an account on my website, so that their profile looks better to other website visitors

but I am unable to make a nice sentence that attracts the application user to upload their profile picture


texts: Is there a long irregular adjective in its base (positive or plain) form?

texts:
As I remember from grammar lessons, adjectives are classified into regular and irregular (are totally different in their base form and comparative form, such as bad and worse), and into short (one syllable) and long (two syllables).

My question is if there is an irregular adjective which is also long?
For now, I found short irregular adjectives (such as good and bad) only, and I'm not sure if something that I'm looking for, exists at all.

I found some lists of irregular adjectives and they don't have even one long irregular adjective, but I'm not sure if there's no an exception and it is not listed there.

List of irregular adjectives.
List of irregular adjectives  source No.2


texts: the person has burned of fire or from fire?

texts:
In case that someone touch the fire, what is the right sentence?

The person has burned of fire
or

The person has burned from fire?


texts: Is "I don't know what am I supposed to say" correct?

texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

  I don't know what am I supposed to say.

I feel like it's false according to embedded question grammar, but my friend keeps telling me that its correct
what do you think?


texts: Sexual act at illegal age/not of legal age

texts:
What is the correct word/phrase when teenagers engage in a sexual activity but they are younger than 18 years old (the legal age, most of the time worldwide).

  Teenagers who engage in a sexual activity at illegal age., may be heavily influenced by nude images they have seen on televisionv(let's say).
  Teenagers who engage in a sexual activity not of legal age.
  Teenagers who engage in sexual activity not at the legal age.

When I googled it, the results were "age of consent" popping up...


texts:
Source: Is Putin Winning?

Example:

  A Russia that can’t control what happens in Kiev is not exactly poised to dominate Eastern Europe; Hungary 1956 or Czechoslovakia 1968 this is not.

The grammar looks a little bit nonstandard. Hungary 1956 or Czechoslovakia 1968 is supposed to go after this is not. What do you think is going on here?


texts: "no longer holds water" vs "no longer bears credence"

texts:
I was proofreading my research and got a comment on my sentence which was " this thought no longer holds water", the reviewer recommends to substitute with " this thought no longer bears credence".

What do you think, does the suggestion valid?


texts: Is it natural to say “Joe had not been throwing fishing net for long time when he found a big school of yellow fin tuna swam his way”?

texts:
Is it natural to say

  "Joe had not been throwing fishing net for long time when he found a big school of yellow fin tuna swam his way”?

Is the use of past perfect progressive tense here correct? Is it possible to use “for a long time” and when clause together?


texts:
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/roll_1?q=roll
Maersk has been a proponent of migrating traditional ocean freight processes to its digital channel over the past year, a drive accelerated in June 2019 by the introduction of “Maersk Spot”, a digital product that penalizes shippers for container no-shows and Maersk if it rolls cargo booked online via the Spot channel.
Source: https://www.joc.com/maritime-news/container-lines/maersk-line/maersk-levy-manual-change-fees-september_20200722.html


texts: She read the book "at the desk" or "on the desk"?

texts:
I came across this question, solving some problems in an English book.

  She read the book ________________ the desk.

(A) to    (B) at    (C) from    (D) on

I see that (A), (C) is absurd, but in the case of (B), I think that could be correct, but the answer is (D).

Is it because (B) is not matching either the verb, "read" or the noun, "book"?


texts: "What is the weather today?" or "How is the weather today?"

texts:
If I want to ask about the weather today whether is cold or hot, worm or cloudy or foggy, rainy or snowy etc. What should I choose of these two (or may be there's another way)?

  "What's the weather today?"

or

  "How's the weather today?"

What's the appropriate choice for the mentioned need?


texts: whats the meaning of word "personified"?

texts:
the reason is the guiding principle of the mind in the process of thinking. Freq. contrasted with will, imagination, passion, etc. Often personified.

this is one of The Oxford English Dictionary definitions for the word reason.

I don't get the last part. whats the meaning of personified?
I searched a lot and it was written that personified meaning is "represent (a quality or concept) by a figure in human form". but doesn't make any sense. is reason not a aspect of being human?


texts: Is the place of “which clause” in this sentence correct?

texts:
I always have issues with using which clauses. I appreciate if someone could let me know if the which clause in the sentence below is correct.

  Something brings about unprecedented challenges to B which can be greatly alleviated by C.

The original sentences were:

  1) Something brings about unprecedented challenges to B.
  2) These challenges can be greatly alleviated by C.


texts:
Did you find out who was behind that action?
Did you find out who had been behind that action?

So Past Perfect refers to events that happened before the main event. So i think 2 is correct but 1 is used rather than 2. Then why is 1 correct?


texts: Tense simplification in the present or future irrealis conditionals

texts:
PEU1 580   tense simplification in subordinate clauses

  Past (form) instead of would...

  Would, like will, is avoided in subordinate clauses; instead, we
  generally use past verbs. This happens in if-clauses, and also after
  most other conjunctions.

    If I had lots of money, I would give some to anybody who asked for it.
    (NOT  If I would have... who would ask for it.)

    Would you follow me wherever I went?
    (NOT ... wherever I would go?)

    In a perfect world, you would be able to say exactly what you thought.
    (NOT ...  what you would think.)

    I would always try to help anybody who was in trouble, whether I knew them or not.

I'm wondering why all these examples are in the past tense, not the present tense, as they sound more like direct speech of the present or future irrealis conditionals.

I would have thought they should be:

    If I had lots of money, I would give some to anybody who asks for it.

    Would you follow me wherever I go?

    In a perfect world, you would be able to say exactly what you think.

    I would always try to help anybody who is in trouble, whether I know them or not.

1. PEU = Michael Swan's, Practical English Usage.


texts:
I was wondering which sentence below is grammatically correct?

1- Before getting to know him, I had so many proposals and I could have married anybody I wanted. But I chose him!
2- Before getting to know him, I had so many proposals and I could have married anybody I wanted to. But I chose him!

I think, the preposition "to" in second case is redundant, though the original sentence from a book written by a non-native person has included it within the sentence.
Actually, whereas the bare infinitives are "marry someone" and "get married to someone", I think if thee writer was going to use that "to", he/she should have written it in the following way:

Before getting to know him, I had so many proposals and I could have gotten married anybody I wanted to. But I chose him!

Please kindly let me know whether I think properly and the author of the book has made a mistake or not.
Thank you in advance.


texts: What is the meaning of "meant more to "?

texts:
What is the meaning of "meant more to " in the following sentence,

  Tabby is an old yellow cat. Tabby loved Mr. Putter's tulips. She was old, and beautiful things
  meant more to her.

?
 :: Source: Mr. Putter and Tabby(Pour the tea)

Does "She was old, and beautiful things meant more to her"
 mean "She was more interested in old and beautiful things (She was meant more old and beautiufl things to her)" or
"She was old. So she was more interested in beautiful things (She was old. So she was meant more beautiful things to her)"

?

Does "beautiful things meant more to her" mean " beautiful things became more meaningful(important) to her" ?


texts: A phrase whose meaning I do not fully understand because I can not read three words

texts:
I do not get the meaning of a phrase because I can not read three words. Below you can find a transcription of the text, and the handwritten original with the above mentioned words underlined.

But I had a generous applause and Prof. Woodward and Prof. Rotch said
some rather nice things. Prof. Zahm just wrote me: “Be sure to have it
(the paper) well published; then continue to give us other papers. We
need another Chanute to continue the critical history of aëronautics
and you have now the ??? which I hope you will ??? with equal ???.

February 2, 1905, Letter of Carl Dienstbach to the wright brothers
( As an explanation: The excerpt above is from a letter of Carl Dienstbach (a german journalist living in New York) to the Wright brothers. Dienstbach told the Wrights that he had participated at a conference where he "gave a historical and critical view of all the important steps toward the final practical accomplishment of mechanical flight starting with Lilienthal and ending with" the Wright brothers. His speech was appreciated by a few professors in the audience, and one of them, Prof. Zahm, wrote him the text I do not fully understand. (Chanute was an early aviation historian, amongst other things.) )


texts: Is this proper English in this situation?

texts:
Put on your shirt, change your dress, underwear, ect... I am not looking you, do not be in hurry.

Situation, a girl that is your co worker has to change clothes and putting on new clothes in emergency in the room you are sitting and you turn your head to the wall not looking her and you want to use proper English.


texts: "They are the same" vs "they are same". Which one should be used?

texts:
Which one of the following should be used when comparing?

They are the same
they are same

I'd like to know which one is the correct sentence and why?


texts:
With these sentences

  1) Whereas the ideas of X, which navigates tradeoffs in sharing context summaries among IoT devices are conceptually explained and mathematically formulated with the X theory, ...

I see that  ", which ... devices" is a full sentence when I replace which with it; I think I can remove it. So, I think I can add one more comma to show that it is removable.

  2) Whereas the ideas of X, which navigates tradeoffs in sharing context summaries among IoT devices, are conceptually explained and mathematically formulated with the X theory, ...

Is there any change in meaning between 1) and 2)? If so why? If not, which is better 1) or 2) (or grammatically correct)?


texts: Reported speech if sentence starts with let

texts:
1:
Direct Speech: I said to my friend ,"good morning. Let us go for a picnic today.
Indirect speech(book answer): I wished my friend good morning and proposed that we should go for a picnic that day.
I think there should be they instead of we.
2:
Direct Speech: I said to my brother,"Let us go to some hill station for a change".
Indirect Speech(book answer): I suggested to my brother that we should go to some hill station for a change.
In second example too book uses we. I read a rule saying when we change speech  let us change into they.
So which one is correct we or they?


texts:
I would like to simultaneously introduce my thesis partner Lisa and refer to our thesis. I.e. summarise the following in one sentence:

  I conducted a thesis project with Lisa. As outlined in our thesis, ...

What is correct:

  As outlined in mine and her thesis...

  As outlined in mine and Lisa's thesis...

or

  As outlined in my and her thesis...

  As outlined in my and Lisa's thesis...

This question is similar but has a different order and the suggestion is to instead use "our" which is not applicable in my case.


texts:
I run into a question as shown below studying an exam held in my country:

  Fill the blank.
  The passengers ---- the announcement of the cancelled flight for the second time groaned audibly.

  A) heard
  B) to hear
  C) to be hearing
  D) to have heard
  E) having heard

The answer is E option. But I didn't get why the answer is not B or D. What is the difference in meaning?


texts: What's the grammatical structure of this sentence?

texts:
Does this sentence  "as were all things Thanos" means "as if all things were Thanos?" If so, is it common to reverse "were" while omit "if"? Could anyone help with its grammar or structure?  Greatly appreciated if more examples could be given, many thanks.

Here is the sentence in the context:

  With Spider-Man safely earthbound, Iron Man attached himself to the
  ship and began using lasers from his gauntlet to cut into the hull. A
  piece flew out and Tony hoisted himself in. Looking around, it was
  like nothing he had seen before, yet strangely familiar, as were all
  things Thanos. Ghosts floating in his mind for six years ever since
  he first made contact during the climax of the Battle of New York.
  Pressing a button, his boots activated stealth mode and he silently
  began to examine the invading ship.

  the avengers 3


texts: What should I say: 'I collect stamps' or 'I'm collecting stamps'?

texts:
Should I use the present simple tense or the present progressive tense to talk about my hobby?

I collect stamps
I am collecting stamps

Why is one form preferred over the other?
And does it depend on the kind of thing I collect or am collecting for that matter?


texts:
Are 'more than once' and 'many times' interchangeable? Do they have the same or similar sense?
In addition, I don't know where to put them in a sentense. Where do you usually put them in the sentence?

I want to use something similar to 'more then once' in a sense of "many times" in my speech. But I would like to say an idiom or a phraseological unit with the meaning of 'many times'.

  This law firm advised oil and gas companies more than once [many times] on the anticorruption and fraud issues.


texts: Understand word "academic" in a given context?

texts:
One of the SHARE members called me. “This isn’t an academic question. It will take millions of dollars to install. The conversion is expensive, the storage is expensive, and the memory is expensive.” Multi-byte code was just not academic.

http://www.unicode.org/history/hartinterview.html

What does word academic mean in that context?


texts: What to call a troll who persistently annoys others through jargon

texts:
Not too long ago, I've encountered this god awful 'troll' on Discord who tends to provoke others without a break. The person would compose paragraphs of endless blasphemy purposely for the attention they wanted as well as to spam.

Things they said:

  "You are a preposterously maladjusted clod and a demented dull-witted abomination of humanity. You are trying ever so hard to sound clever dear, LOOL!"

Luckily, they were muted for their nonstop chatter. Why I was awaiting for this to nickname him.


texts:
The following sentence can be found on this Quora page:

  Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited the US in November - weeks before the war with Pakistan and that visit was a cold wind blowing.

What is meaning of 'cold wind blowing visit'?


texts:
I don't think she'd do that to you.
I don't think she'll do that to you.

What's difference between would and will in the sentences above?
What's the difference between them generally?


texts:
She could not follow the ugly academic jargon, that rattled itself off
  so glibly, but said to herself that she saw now why going to the
  circus had knocked him off his perch, poor little man, and why he came
  out, instantly, with all that about his father and mother and brothers
  and sisters, and she would see to it that they didn't laugh at him any
  more; she would tell Prue about it. What he would have liked(1), she
  supposed(2), would have been to say(3) how he had gone(4) not to the
  circus but to Ibsen with the Ramsays. He was an awful prig –– oh yes,
  an insufferable bore.  (Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse)

What’s the time orders between (1), (2), (3), and (4)?

When I consulting the reference time (2), it seems (4) < (1) < (3). But I think there’s no need to have perfect tense in “What he would have liked.” This is confusing me.


texts:
I have an issue with putting articles in phrases like:
"the equipment diagnostics and repair",
"the equipment damage or breakage",
"the Asset user’s explanation",
"the asset damage or breakage causing".

The problem is that I am not sure whether I have to put "the" or not. As far as I know we have to put an article of the modified noun while the article of attributive noun is omitted. My modified nouns are plural mostly but the noun before the modified noun is not an abstract one, it is mentioned before. So I feel like I should make an emphasis that it is "damage" or "breakage" of that definite "asset" or "equipment", while also know that I has to put the article related to the modified noun.

Please, assist me with the proper grammar rule with using the articles with noun adjuncts.


texts:
As a second question linked to the Future Pluperfect Tense question.

Can we use double modals the way it is introduced in this source?

Are the following sentences possible in modern English?

John might could examine the doctor.
John might could have examined the doctor.


texts: Which should I use "I go swimming" or "I swim"?

texts:
When to use 'I go swimming' and 'I swim'?
And,what are the differences between them?
Are they suitable to use.


texts: using "has been" for actions other then just visiting

texts:
If I want to say that Jack went to Italy and is not back yet, I would say:

  He's gone to Italy.

If I want to say that Jack went to Italy and came back, I would say:

  He's been to Italy.

If I want to say that Jack went to pick up his daughter from school, I would say:

  He's gone to pick up his daughter from school.

But if I want to say that Jack went to pick up his daughter from school and came back, why can I not say:

  He's been to pick up his daughter from school.

?


texts:
I am looking at
sense 4. in the Wiktionary, which reads:

(transitive) To call back (a situation, event etc.) to one's mind; to remember, recollect. [from 16th c.]

And I am reading this quote by Mr John Logsdon:

  Our movies and television programs in the fifties were full of the idea of going into space. What came as a surprise was that it was the Soviet Union that launched the first satellite. It is hard to recall the atmosphere of the time.

Does that mean, he cannot easily remember what the atmosphere was like? That seems easy enough to do, maybe he meant he can't easily put it into words or something. What seems like a natural interpretation?


texts: "relationships the user KNOWS EXIST" or "relationships the user KNOWS EXISTS" - Why?

texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

  "This limits the algorithm to relationships the user already knows exist."

As a non-native English speaker I am struggling to determine which verbs should be plural and which should be singular.

Where I am having difficulty is with the "exist(s)" and "know(s)". How I argued was that "relationships" is plural so I put it with plural "exist" and the  "user" is singular so it goes with singular "knows".

But I'm not sure weather this is right or weather I must apply the "user" singular-ness to both "knows exists" because it is closer to it? I am really confusing myself.

(I know starting the sentence with "this" seems confusing but in context of the thesis it is part of it makes sense)


texts:
I have a question about the usage of "trace through" here:

  The idea that the famous trade-off between flat-tax efficiency and progressive-tax equity may not exist after all will be big news to fairness-minded Democrats! It will take many years to trace through the workings of these winner-take-all markets, to judge their significance in the economy over all.

But I couldn't find a dictionary definition that fit this usage of "trace through".  Could it be an error?  Would replacing "to trace through the workings of" with "to trace the workings of" be better?


texts: The passive form for "have decided to invite you"

texts:
We can say "I have decided to invite you". What will be the passive form?

1) You have been decided to invite
2) You have been decided to be invited?

And the second thing:

I have thought about inviting you. How will it be in passive?

1) You have been thought about inviting... or how?

Please, help me


texts: There are three words Liquor, Alcohol and Intoxicant. Which word can be used in general for any alcoholic drink? That is, if I say, 'wine' does it present any drink or is it a particular drink?


texts:
I found this in Swan's PEU

  He was mad madly in love with her.

It says adverb modifying adverbial phase. But...

  He was mad in love with her --sounds okay to me as I consider mad as an adjective there.

Is the latter sentence okay or mad should be considered as an adverb only and thus it must be madly. The sentence on its own is fine I think but it's my opinion.


texts: A is C, not B - Is this expression correct?

texts:
When A is not B but C, can I use "A is C, not B" ? For example:

  Apple is American, not Korean.

Do native English speakers use this kind of expression?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
Which one is natural when you refer to the place where you live, not just a constructed dwelling ?

  A: Hey honey, I will give you a call when I leave the house.

  B: Hey honey, I will give you a call when I leave home.

Somehow, "the house" sounds more natural to my ears in this case but I am not sure if it is correct.


texts: The door you heard closing / The door you heard close was not him going out, it was me coming in

texts:
I was wondering which sentence would be better, the progressive one or the other.

The door you heard closing was not him going out, it was me coming in

The door you heard close was not him going out, it was me coming in


texts: Is the "that" important as in "and that"?

texts:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-mexico-tariffs-escalating-illegal-immigrants-stop

  The Washington Post reported earlier in the day that the Trump
  administration was considering the move, and that it had broad
  support in the White House --,  although some aides reportedly tried
  to talk Trump out of it.

I can't feel the difference between with or without the "that". Can that "that" be removed without meaning of the sentence being changed?


texts: difference between "will have to" and "have to"

texts:
They can’t fix my computer. I’ll have to buy a new one.

The tense of the first sentence is the present. But in the following sentence "will have to" is used instead of "have to". I wonder why.

I want to know the difference between the following two sentences.

  They can’t fix my computer. I’ll have to buy a new one.

  They can’t fix my computer. I have to buy a new one.


texts: Can 'to' be omitted in 'not only to ~ but also to -' structure?

texts:
Can to be omitted after but?

They go shopping not only to buy things but to pass the time.

How about preposition to?

They went not only to temples but to mosque there.


texts: Analysing the "kind(s) of problem(s) are [ones]/[to be]" construction

texts:
A. These kinds of problem are to be avoided.
B. These kind of problems are to be avoided.

Are both A and B grammatical? If not, why not? If so, after having noticed the parallelism between A and C, and between B and D, could we say that C and D are "standard" English, too?

C. These kinds of problem are ones to avoid.
D. These kind of problems are ones to avoid.


texts:
After that incident, we never talked about our families again, but we did talk about our dolls. I would boast about how many animals mine had. “A cow, a pig, a really huge chicken!”
And Tania would say, with a dismissive smile, “Mine live in a city. There is no space for farm animals. Their names are Sigrid, Amaranta, and Arabella. Amaranta and Arabella are scientists, but Sigrid is an actress.”

Is the word would here in this passage implying every now and then  ? Tania would say = Tania continually said every time in my house...


texts:
Don't look under the bed.

I know what this sentence means , I think it means you shouldn't see what is under the bed . But I wonder if it is also mean that don't look while you are under the bed . I mean Does ''under'' have two meanings?

  Don't stand under the forklift.

In this sentence I think it has second meaning above. I really couldn't understand differnce .


texts: Verb "contribute to" + "doing something"

texts:
I would like to contribute to arresting that man.

Is this grammatically correct? I mean to have an influence on / bring about arresting him.


texts: Are "when/whenever/where/wherever possible" synonyms?

texts:
This Macmillan dictionary suggests that the when/whenever/where/wherever possible are synonyms:

  when or where you have an opportunity to do something.
  I relax with a good book whenever possible.

However, I've seen this answer (it seems from a native speaker) on this forum.wordreference.com post:

  It seems obvious to me that "when" refers to time and "where" to place.

  Call me when possible. (= call when you have time)

  Walk where possible. (= walk wherever you can or are allowed to)

  In the above exercise the obvious answer should be "when" because it
  refers to time, unless I'm missing something.

It suggests that they are different. I'm confused. I've also seen this example from the Potter book:

  Always brought people in alive where possible.

In this case, can we put:
Always brought people in alive when/whenever/wherever possible.? Would they mean the same thing?


texts:
Why news titles use the Present Indefinite for the events that have already happened? Here is an example (sorry, it was the one that attracted my attention):

  Windsor-area mom dies of flesh-eating necrotizing fasciitis

Why "dies"? Is it a feature of the news language? Or is it a standard English?
Thank you!


texts: The vs An (Comparing for most appropriate.)

texts:
The average person knows 25000 words.

Vs

  An average person knows 25000 words.

I find the latter more appropriate, but the former is what I read almost everywhere. Does anyone have a coherent explanation to which one is more correct?


texts:
My opinion is that making people aware of the benefits of getting a Masters degree is important because although everybody knows education is good, many people are reluctant to get a Masters dgeree since they don't know the benefits of that. Therefore, I would love to make them aware of that.

Can you help me and tell me how I can express the above sentence in a better manner and structure? I see it has since and because in the same sentence and also has because although.


texts: Does this sentence make sense? (on the beach is the best place)

texts:
"On the beach is the best place to play football."
Can the "on the beach" be the subject like in this sentence?

Also, can preposition phrase(like in this sentence)follow the preposition?


texts: Help understanding "to have" in sentences like "I would have liked to have invited few people."

texts:
Yes, I am still confused with the sentences like ' to have' but not all the sentences related 'to have'. I can understand the sentences below:

  I am happy to have been invited by him.

  He was happy to have met Mr. Smith.

  He was supposed to have married on 20 December.

  You have to have made a reservation.

  He must have been  driven to despair to have killed her.

But I do not understand the sentences like:

  It is considered normal for the people these days to have had some practical knowledge before joining some  a new job.

  It is better to have loved & lost than never to have lost at all.

  I would have liked to have invited few people.

  It would have been nice to have had great Bollywood presence. The most popular symbol of India.


texts: Is it acceptable to use the adverb 'now' in this sentence?

texts:
Nowadays a variety of kitchen gadgets are now available in the market.

In the sentence, is it acceptable to use the adverb 'now' that means 'immediately or at once'?


texts: "Something to forget" versus "something to be forgotten"

texts:
My question is simple: what's the difference between the following phrases?

"the past is something to be forgotten" and "the past is something to forget"
"XXX is the last thing to mention in this study" and "XXX is the last thing to be mentioned in this study"

When I think about "something to be done" versus "something to do," the first one is like I have work and I need to finish it, but the latter seems to work in something like "I don't have anything to do." So it's clear. But in the two examples above, I can't seem to notice the difference.


texts: How to simplify (to shorten) a long sentence with similar patterns?

texts:
Suppose that the performance of a system depends on the efficiency of two sub systems called A and B. And I want to say something along this line:

A can compensate the poor performance of B, but B can not compensate the poor performance of A.

I am wondering how I can simplify this sentence into a more compact one with omitting the unnecessary repetitive (redundant?) parts. I would say:

A can compensate the poor performance of B, but not true the other way around.

I am wondering if my sentence is correct and idiomatic? If so, is it good for an academic and sort of formal writing?


texts: What does "that was his last blow at fate" mean?

texts:
He thought Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him; and felt, somehow, that he was paying Him back in kind when he stabbed thus into his wife's soul. Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name.

  She turned away like one stunned by a blow, and walked slowly towards the door, hoping he would call her back.

  "Good-by, Armand," she moaned.

  He did not answer her. That was his last blow at fate.

Dose it mean that it was his last chance  to return to his wife and he did not care about it?

This context is from the story named "Désirée 's Baby" by Kate Chopin


texts: Referring Since *uncertain but at least years ago* time in the past

texts:
Sentence A : Since that time back then  i always study hard

Question : please correct Sentence A, just like a native english speaker would use.


texts: 'to be difficult to obtain' or 'to be difficult to be obtained'?

texts:
There is a sentence in my english book:

  Jonathan Hill mentions that it is not unusual for certain details to
  be difficult to obtain from family members.

My teacher says this is incorrect, it should be to be difficult to be obtained because it's not the details which obtain. However I think it's correct the way it's written, because the 'to be' applies to the structure 'difficult to obtain', not just to 'difficult'.

Is the first one correct or not?


texts: Answer to the question of "Mind if I ~? "

texts:
Q1.
I saw this dialogue in a book:

A: "Mind if I see your notebook?"
B: "Sure."

In this context, "Sure" was used to mean "I don't mind, go ahead." Right?
But in other contexts, "Sure" means "Of course", "Yes", right?
So in the dialogue, isn't the "Sure" changed to "Sure not(?)" or "Of course not"?
In other words, why do you use 'Sure' as a meaning of permission in the context of the dialogue above?
Q2. "Would you mind opening the window?" means "Would you mind your(or you) opening the window",or "Will you open the window for me", right?
But can the sentence be also used to mean "Would you mind my(or me) opening the window",or "Do you mind if I open the window"?


texts:
I don’t understand when I should use zero article.

Can you explain me usage of article in these sentences:
1. They have little experience.
2. You can have a little rest.

I think in both cases we are talking about abstractions.
Please help me.


texts: What do you call an armor plate that only covers the belly? I wouldn't call it a breast plate, because the part covering the breast is separated from the part that covers the belly, so I was wondering if such a piece of armor that only covers the belly has a name.


texts:
In the dictionary,

  [intransitive, transitive] to say or do something to show that you
  disagree with or disapprove of something, especially publicly

  protest (about/against/at something)

  Students took to the streets to protest against the decision.

  protest something

  (North American English) They fully intend to protest the decision.

My question is:

Does "to protest somebody" make sense?

Can we say?

We are protesting my boss.

We are protesting the president.


texts: What is the difference between "engage" and "deploy"？

texts:
These two words can both mean making sth ready for use. I've seen lots of usage like "Sword deployed", "We're being deployed", "Weapons system engaged", "Evac pod engaged", etc. in the movie The Pacific Rim.

There has to be kind of overlap in meaning, but I wonder if a certain difference exists.


texts: How to understand the two if-clause in this sentence

texts:
"Is there a defence? I defy anyone who has watched you as I have - and I have watched you more closely than you can have imagined - not to want to save you more pain than you had already suffered. What did I care if numbers of nameless and faceless people and creatures were slaughtered in the vague future, if in the here and now you were alive, and well, and happy? I never dreamed that I would have such a person on my hands.

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I don't quite understand the highlighted sentence above. The two if-clauses confuses me. How should we understand it? Also, I'm not quite sure what the whole paragraph tries to convey.


texts: Try to count the sheep / Try counting sheep

texts: Good morning everybody, I was wondering about this sentence: "I can't sleep for a while" the other person answers: "Try to count sheep / try counting sheep". Is there a real difference in this kind a sentence, or is it irrelevant?


texts: Does placement of "not" have significance? Not to be verb, To not be verb, To be not verb

texts:
Question #1: What is the difference in meaning between "[to be] not invited" and similar negated forms?  Is "to be not invited" an idiomatic form that has a meaning distinct from other ways of phrasing the lack of an invitation? Here are some examples from the Google search "to be not invited":

Syrian president to be not invited to Euro-Mediterranean summit
Is nornal to be not invited to a wedding espcially his sons wedding?
They sit back and allow them to be “not invited”. (in comments; search for "not invited)
The only black senator named Tim Scott is a Republican and claimed to be not invited to the MLK event

It seems this has a different meaning than other forms.  For example, what is the difference in meaning between "Is John not going to be invited?" and "Is John going to be not invited?"

Question #2: Can this be generalized to other similar/parallel forms of negation "not to be verb" and "to be not verb" and other forms (see below)?

(These questions are inspired by the question, Is "To be not invited is sad" grammatical?)

In both Question 1 and Question 2, one may consider the following forms:

Not to be verb.
To not be verb.
To be not verb.
Any other form expressing a similar meaning.

Also, for this entire question/answer thread, one may attempt to creatively create contexts/scenarios in which there is a difference in meaning in order to explain how they could signify a difference.


texts: What would natives take for "Today is so yesterday"?

texts:
I saw this sentence "Today is so yesterday" on a T-shirt one of my American friends wore.

My first impression is that the sentence means what's happening today is just repeating what's happening in the past. But I feel there might be some other interpretations too.

What will be English natives' take for the sentence?


texts: What can the phrase “is embedded in a whale of a bill” mean?

texts:
Here is an excerpt from “Abstinence Or Obstinacy?” (The Washington Post; May 17, 2002):

"Soon after, the measure providing more money for President Bush's cherished abstinence-only program sailed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, heading to the floor, where it passed yesterday. No surprise there. The provision to keep America's teenagers as ignorant as possible about sex -- even, as Capps knows, to teach them what is false -- is embedded in a whale of a bill that contains so much for so many that, should it have failed, it could only meant that our cherished political system has collapsed and reason has triumphed."

I thought that whales were marine mammals!


texts: Can anybody tell me what does this sentence mean "Apparently, this user prefers to keep an air of mystery about them."

texts: can anybody explain me what does the sentence mean "Apparently, this user prefers to keep an air of mystery about them."


texts: What does the phrase "soar off ramps" mean here?

texts:
Here is a sentence from a game app's description:

  In the game, you soar off ramps to beat competitors to the finish
  line.

I am not sure about the meaning of the phrase soar off ramps here. How would you explain the same idea in different words?


texts:
Does I ate food a lot mean ambiguously?

I ate a lot of food.
I made a lot of chewing, biting or the other action on food.


texts:
Tell me please if need to use the in the following sentence.

  A lot of guys are lagging in (the) upper chest development, which leads to an unproportionally developed chest.

I am in doubt because on one hand the word development in this context appeares to be a countable noun, and on the other hand the words upper and chest specify which development.


texts: What is the meaning of the highlighted sentence given below from The Washington Post?

texts: He lashed out on Twitter and took the unusual step of threatening a lawsuit over the result, a move that might be called dubious in the same way that LeBron James might be called athletic. It is — but that’s underselling the point a bit.


texts: Why the adj. word "frozen" after the verb in the sentence "Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair." in Harry Poter.?

texts:
Why the adjective word "frozen" after the verb in the sentence
"Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair." in a book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

I change the sentence.  "Mr. Dursley sat happy in his armchair." The sentence is wrong. "happy" and "frozen" are adjective words. Why I can't replace "frozen" with "happy".

In my opinion, the frozen is an adjective word. It can't after the verb sat.


texts: Is it clear what I mean by separated in this sentence?

texts:
I recently got separated from my wife of twelve years, which has been hard.
Is it clear from this sentence that by "separated" I mean that my wife and I have decided to get divorced and are waiting for it to be completed?


texts: Words that do not follow the 'Q' and 'U' Rule?

texts:
So here I am, with yet another simple question, something that remains unanswered for a long time. I've searched Google for a word that doesn't follow the rule-of-thumb that a 'U' always follows a 'Q' in any English word.  Google showed me a few words, but they aren't English words. Anybody know any examples that disobey this elementary rule ?

Wikipedia gave me a list of very weird and uncommon words that can be used as examples. But most of these are Anglicized from foreign languages and hardly ever used.


texts: "imagine on one side" vs "on one side imagine" vs sth else?

texts:
"Enter into your imagination, and imagine on one side several people who have yelled at you. On the second side imagine all those who have supported you".
"Imagine on one side", "On one side imagine" or how would you write it by other words?
I think "on one side imagine" would be more clear in that case, but I also know that generally adjunct is after verb.


texts:
How does it write correctly and why? How can I write this in the past tense? and also in question form how to say this? I mean the second action that did not happen and then you don't know how to continue living on.

  I cannot live without hugging you.

  I cannot live without hugged you.

  I cannot live without apologizing to you.

  I cannot live without apologized to you.


texts: Why add ‘she knew’ when this sentence was changed into a passive sentence?

texts:
People did not take the girl seriously when she said she had seen a kangaroo.

Change the sentence above into a passive sentence.

The answer is: ‘When the girl said she had seen a kangaroo, she knew she was not taken seriously.’.

Why ‘she knew’ should be added in the answer?


texts:
You need to change bus(es) three times to get to a certain place.

You've got to transfer buses three times.
You've got to transfer bus three times.

Is #2 correct?


texts:
I've just read the following sentence in a book:

  I wonder what that's for?

So is that correct order of words "that" and "is"? In my opinion there should be:

  I wonder what's that for?

Am I right? Or might it be both variants are possible?


texts: Select a necessary value from the list/ Select the necessary

texts:
As it often happens with the use of articles, we need to make certain assumptions about whether both parties understand what is being referred to.

There is a phrase in a technical manual:

  Select the necessary value from the dropdown list

On the one hand, the motivation for using the definite article is that the user must know which of the values is right so this value is rather definite and exclusive.

On the other, the same phrase with the indefinite article seems logical to me as well:

  Select a necessary value from the dropdown list

We do not know the value yet so the user is asked to select some value on the list that they find necessary in this particular case.

Which of the options would you use in this case and why?


texts: What does "the event of economic consequences" mean?

texts:
I read a paper talking about the Operating Cycle. On page 6th, they said:

Sales of assets, no matter how disguised, are one-time events. In
contrast, cycling capital through the cycle and generating cash
contribution margins from operations hopefully is a repeatable event
and the event of economic consequences that justifies the existence of
a firm. It is the well of economic returns

From my understanding, sales of assets above mean that the company sells the timber, or oil, or cash equivalents, and they are one-time events. Then,"cycling capital through the cycle" means dollar leaves cash and go through other asset account, and $1.05 comes back into cash after a number of days. Then "contribution margins" means selling price per unit minus variable cost per unit.
I am wondering why they hope it is a repeatable event, and what does "event of economic consequences" mean in this sentence?


texts: Verbs taking only second (direct) object?

texts:
I know that some verbs only take second object. In essence,

  I suggest you to pay the tax -- is wrong.

  I suggest you pay the tax -- is correct.

  I said something to her -- is correct.

  I said to her something -- is wrong.

I want to know that, what do you name such verbs ? How can I know more about such verbs ? Where should seek for more verbs similar to suggest and say ?

It really bothers me, especially when I want to construct a sentence. I always have doubt about correctness of the sentence.


texts:
I'm searching for a word that could be used to refer to projects that I created in the context of my academic studies.

Background: I'm working on my personal website and want to have a navigation menu item that links to a list of projects I created in college. I'm unhapy with the phrase "college projects", because I'd rather use only one word instead of two and because of the ambiguity of the word "college"; I'm studying at the University of Cologne, which AFAIK would be refered to as a university rather than a college, though I could never really wrap my head around the different meanings of both words.

So, is there a single word for that meaning? And if not, what (preferably short) phrase could I use to refer to that without said ambiguity?

First, I wanted to use the word "studies", but AFAIK that could also mean something entirely different, since "studying" not only refers to academic studies, but also to research or examination in generel; is that correct?


texts: Can an identifying clause placed at the end of the sentence?

texts:
REPORTER: The DEA is mourning Jack Weber this evening, a 20-year
  forensic investigator for the agency in Miami.

In above sentence, an identifying clause placed at the end of the sentence. Is that grammatical correct ?

I find these lines in Bad Boys for Life 2020


texts: What is the opposite of the term debt to use on the side of lender?

texts:
I had a hard time figuring out the meaning of owe, due, and debt (all verbs) to find out all refer to the fact of owing money to someone who has lent, for example, money. So, the borrower who owes the money is in debt and should pay back the monetary value that is due to the lender. I am amazed why all of these words concern the party that is to give back the debt. I could not find verb thereby I can say, for example, I [VERB_IN_QUESTION=am to receive] money from you, Or Please give back my [MONEY_I_AM_TO_RECEIVE_FROM_YOU] (as opposed to debt).
I hope I was successful in explaining what I mean. If more clarification seems necessary, please let me know.


texts: Run Over or Drive Over. Which is correct?

texts:
The old woman was run over by the car infront of her house.

  The young man drove his car  over the old woman.


texts: Is the phrase "to fall on one's ass" literal in meaning? Is it only used when someone falls and lands on their ass or can it be used about any fall?


texts: Why is it right to say "cackle of laughter"

texts:
I came across this expression and found on google that it is quite common, like in the example:

  (subject) let out a cackle of laugh/laughter

I didn't find this usage in the dictionaries as idiomatic. Isn't it implicit that a cackle is a kind of laugh? The word "cackle" has only one meaning; there can't be a cackle of anything else, isn't there? To me, it sounds like someone saying "(subject) drank an orange juice of fruit".
Is there a reason for this expression? Did I miss something?


texts: Is this well written?: for society isn’t normal for a person to remarry

texts: I'm not an english speaker but that sentence sounds like wrong to me, I don't know why I think is because "for society" isn't well placed there.


texts: help to understand have/have been example

texts:
what is the difference between these examples and which one is correct.

1) I have this phone for years
2) I have been this phone for years


texts: Police "needed" him or Police "was after" him?

texts:
Which one is better?

  The Police needed him for armed robbery.

or

  The Police was after him for armed robbery.


texts: Which part of the sentence can decide the meaning of "for"?

texts:
The following sentence which have the same sentence construction, but why do the meanings of "for" in them vary?

  The entrepreneur /has responsibility /for any risk involved.
  He /has too much money/ for a young man.
  I /have free advice /for you.
  I /have two hours/ for a rest.
  Many new trains /have space /for wheelchair users.
  We /have no real, objective, scientific evidence /for our belief.

The sentences above have the same sentence construction, but the meaning of "for" in them vary. I don't know which part can decide the meaning of "for".


texts: Is this expression idiomatic and clear? "A, B, C constitute a partition; X, Y constitute the other partition"

texts:
I answered a question just now.

this is an array (a group/list of numbers)

array([ 2,  1,  3,  6,  7,  9, 15])

which is divided into 2 partitions, so I said

  [2, 1, 3, 6, 7] constitute the left partition, the rest constitute the right partition

Is this expression idiomatic and clear?


texts:
Is it idiomatic to say "take off - of"?
For example:

Don't take your headband off of your head.


texts:
What should our liabillity for our children be?

  What should our liability be for our children?

In these sentence , Is there any meaning difference. For our children is used after liability in first sentence and it is used in the end in the second sentence? Does place of “ for our children” change meaning ?


texts: which one is the better sentence? help me please

texts:
I read some books and watched a video lecture and a movie yesterday. The problem is that I did these things on and off. "I have knew my concentration is bad" but yesterday I felt it keenly. How do I fix it?

I read some books and watched a video lecture and a movie yesterday. The problem is that I did these things on and off. "I knew my concentration was bad" but yesterday I felt it keenly. How do I fix it?

I mean, "I have knew my concentration is bad" vs  "I knew my concentration was bad"


texts: Why to "jump in my grave" and what does it mean in this sentence?

texts:
I could understand the person who said this sentence is that she is angry and accusing her sister taking (stealing) her own room. But why would someone compare her own room as a "grave"?  Isn't it bad or unlucky to say something in this way? Or am I missing some culture gap? Or is "jump in to one's grave" just a simple collocation which I failed to grasp its meaning?

Here is the sentence:

  I suppose with hindsight it would have been a good idea to mention it
  to my sister first.

  Three hours later she came bursting into the living room with a face
  like thunder.

  ‘Would you jump in my grave so quickly?’
   Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

The context is :

The thundering sister is moving out with her son to university, and "I" being the older sister, has being living in a box room for five years, now that "my sister" is moving out, so "I" would like to move in the room, which is larger and originally mine several years ago. But "my sister" refused that because she may come back home at weekends.


texts: When should I use "do" like this: "...but very rarely DO you get to see inside the box"?

texts:
From the sentence:

They are nice and flashy on the outside, and they tell you all the great things that are inside but very rarely do you actually get to see inside the box.

I feel natural that the "do" is placed here, but what is this situation called and how do I know when to use it?


texts: How to phrase a requirement where two of four explicitly listed things are needed

texts:
Let’s say there are four things hat might satisfy your desires: apples, oranges, mangos, and kiwis.

If you’re content with having just one of the fruits above, you might, in a sentence, tell someone, “If you have apples, oranges, mangos, or kiwis, I’ll be happy.”

If you won’t be satisfied until you have all four, in a sentence you might phrase that as “If you have apples, oranges, mangos, and kiwis, I’ll be happy.”

But what if you want only two of the four fruits? (Or three?) How would one naturally convey that in a single sentence? Someone said to me, “If you have two of apples, oranges, mangos, and kiwis...”, but while that sounds wrong to me, I’m not sure how to improve it.


texts: How to refuse an offer of partially eaten food?

texts:
If someone has already started eating his food and offers me some, I don't eat the food he has already started eating. How do I frame a sentence for that?

  Thanks for the offer, but, I don't eat food ____

Any other sentence would be appreciated.


texts:
In some old Toefl test, there is a question like this:

  ______in this town?

  I think Mr. Kim is the richest man.

  A. Who do you think is the richest man

  B. Who you think is the richest man

I would choose B since it sounds better. But what's wrong with A (or B)?


texts:
Which one is correct?

Where did you put my dictionary? I can't find it.
Where have you put my dictionary? I can't find it.


texts:
A teacher is saying to her students:

  Between now and then, observe yourself. Bring in information. Be committed, constant and fair to each other.

Does it mean "in this time period"? or it means "sometimes"?


texts: Meaning of "saunter up" in football (soccer) context

texts:
What does "saunter up" mean in football (soccer) context?
FULL TIME! A consolation for Chelsea but Manchester City saunter up to fifth in the table, now just four points off the leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.


texts: Is there an idiom that refers to the idea that a seemingly absurd belief is not all that absurd? Or that the absurd belief is not absurd at all? I was thinking that such an idiom existed, but couldn't find any idiom about belief that matched that idea.


texts: Is the expression "related history" correct in this context?

texts:
when we are talking about something, and we want to say that we will provide a history about that particular thing, for exp, we are talking about prison gangs in general, particularly about drug use in one particular gang.

the word History by itself, is misleading in my context.

can i say "a related history" (that is a history of drug use in that particular  gang)

here is the sentence:

Prison gangs has become increasingly notorious for their illegal behavior. in this work we will, particularly, shed lights on the use of illicit drug use and trafficking in X gang. A related history ( a history o drug use in that gang) will consider ....


texts:
Consider:

  Republicans were quick to pounce on Obama’s water-intensive golf weekend. “We  have seen this brand of hypocrisy from President Obama before — this time it seems his soap box doubles as a tee box.”

What does "His soap box doubles as a tee box" mean?


texts: Anastrophe in "no copy exists of [book] "?

texts:
1. It is remarkable that no printed copy exists of Ovid's Metamorphoses ...
2. No Greek copy exists of either [epistle] ...
of {adj} = 3. Indicating an association between two entities, typically one of belonging, in which the first is the head of the phrase and the second is something associated with it:

Does anastrophe apply to exists?
Can I move exists after the noun, as follows?

1.1. It is remarkable that no printed copy of Ovid's Metamorphoses EXISTS ...
2.1. No Greek copy of either [epistle]  EXISTS ...


texts: When to use The First & Second Conditional?

texts:
If I knew the answer, I would tell you.

  If I know the answer, I will tell you.

I totally understand both sentence, but I am confused when to use them.
For example; if someone asking me about the answer why would I say the first conditional, and why would I say the second one?


texts: Is "to be down to do something" grammatical and common usage?

texts:
So I have been hearing this construction quite a bit recently but couldnt find it in any of the dictionaries that I commonly use to look up things.
So I was wondering just how common it really is and if its only used in very colloquial speech or extends to other areas as well. Then I have also heard "to be down for" but Im guessing this is simply used whenever a noun is needed (to be down for "it", whatever that may be) and is identical in meaning to the other phrase.


texts:
Mostly, I have seen that to be is followed by adjective/verb , whereas In Today's new paper, it (to be) is followed by article as well as noun, so how is this possible?

  Andhra Pradesh without the revenue flow from Hyderabad (which accounted for 22 per cent of the total revenue of the undivided State) is in dire financial straits as the special status promised by the previous UPA government has proved to be elusive. As an ally of the BJP at the Centre, the Telugu Desam Party that rules Andhra Pradesh is hoping for a special financial grant. But that too appears to be a distant dream today as too many States are in the queue seeking such packages

Thanks,

Charmi


texts: What is the meaning of "call" in "television networks called the election for Joe Biden"?

texts:
News media use these kind of expressions of "call" a lot recently. For example the following sentences quoted from NBC News:

One side of a deeply divided country is celebrating this weekend. A nationwide block party broke out from coast to coast yesterday in spontaneous celebrations, mostly in cities, moments after television networks called the election for Joe Biden.

Of course, those races are not called, but Biden leads in both.

What does the word "call" mean here?


texts: "some . . . vote" or "some . . . votes"?

texts:
The following sentence is from NBCnews.

  He could also win some of the Sanders vote.

Is "vote" mentioned here correct? I think "vote" should be in plural form.

If singular "vote" is correct then what does it mean here? Does its meaning change if the noun is changed to singular or plural?

Note: I went through ell.SE question regarding the usage of "some" but I feel it is not the answer.


texts: What could you replace 'including' with when it's followed by an extreme example of something?

texts:
How do you translate the Russian phrase 'вплоть до'? It's like "including" but is followed by some extreme example of what is mentioned earlier. Something like

He was ready to execute any order, [вплоть до] a murder.

'Even as much as'?


texts: After earning a Master's degree, does one have reached the Master level?

texts:
I am translating a typical French diploma into English. The translation will be certified, so I am trying to use the proper terms.

The diploma reads Le diplôme [...] confère le grade de Master., which means that by receiving the diploma, I have obtained the Master level/rank. What's the correct way to formulate it?

I would point out that in French we draw a distinction between the diploma (diplôme), the title (titre), and the level/rank (grade):

diploma (diplôme) is the piece of paper
title (titre) is the name one can use, e.g., Dr.
level/rank (grade) is the academic level/rank a student have reached.


texts:
If I had a daughter who (is/were/was) cute, I would be very happy.
  (Written to mean that I have never had a cute daughter, so I would be very happy if I could have one)

I think "were" or "was" is grammatically correct because the sentence is of a hypothetical situation. So, "is" seems to be grammatically wrong to use there, and I know a more natural wording would be just "If I had a cute daughter", but I wrote it like that on purpose to ask this question.


texts: whether the preposition is needed or not

texts:
My house is situated at just 50 kilometers southeast of the town.

I'd like to know whether the preposition "at" should be placed after "situated" or not. Thanks in advance.


texts: How many stops is it/are there to the park?

texts:
I just read a question in Oxford Word Skills about bus routes:

'How many stops is it to the park?'

Although I feel "how many stops are they..." sounds awkward, "how many stops are there..." sounds normal to me.

In many examples that I've seen with how many or how much, if the main verb is 'be', it agrees with the noun after how many or how much. E.g. 'how many apples are in the fridge?'

Why doesn't the verb 'be', here 'is', agree with 'stops'? What kind of grammar is "how many stops is it..."?!

By the same analogy, can I say "how many apples is it in the fridge?" If yes, how is it different from "how many apples are there in the fridge?"?


texts:
Intuitively, wooden board makes more sense, for wooden is an adjective meaning "made of wood," whereas wood is both a noun and an adjecitve. Google Ngram viewer also seems to suggest wooden board is the more common term:

However, I have seen wood board many many times. For instance: wood boards/wood slabs, wood frame, and wood board AND wooden board. What are the differences?


texts: The order adjective and definite article

texts:
As shown in the graph, Mexico has * over double * number of Spanish speakers of any other countries.

Where is the correct place of definite article (the) in above sentence? I added asterisks as place holders for the definite articles.


texts: Word/phrase to describe that a path is in the way of two frequented routes?

texts:
Is the phrase "along the way" or "in passing"? Example sentence:

  Mark didn't know why Marta had gone to that strange place. It
  didn't/wasn't __ her university to her house.


texts: "It's secure" versus "It is secure" - which is correct

texts:
Which is the correct form of these:

  It’s secure
  It is secure

My question: which is the correct form?

For examples, is this sentence ok?

  XY says it’s secure.


texts: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is (not?)

texts:
I've bumped into the following expression a few times already:

  If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

To me, the correct way to say it would be:

  If something seems too good to be true, it probably is not.

The reasoning being that, if you make explicit the implicit "true" in the sentence we get:

  If something seems too good to be true, it probably is true.

While surely it should be:

  If something seems too good to be true, it probably is not true.

Am I missing something? Or maybe it is some sort of sarcasm?


texts: "You tried to have him killed" vs "You had someone kill him" vs "You told someone to kill him"

texts:
I am curious about the nuances among the 3 sentences below. OP is the first sentence from an English lecture. I have no idea of the actual context.

You tried to have him killed.

You had someone kill him.

You told someone to kill him.


texts: "The result that came up" vs "The result came up to"

texts:
Do they mean the same or different things?

Example sentence:

  She summed all the numbers. The result that came up was 283.

Or:

  She summed all the numbers. The result came up to 283.

Would the meaning change in this sentence? If so, in which way?


texts: "She is on her way to work. " To work is an attribute or Adverbial Modifier?

texts:
She is on her way to work.

The infinitive here can be understood as an attribute or Adverbial Modifier.

which one is right?


texts: What does mean by "the kid starts going on about....."?

texts:
Source

  As they all walk towards the elevators the kid starts going on about
  how he will be old enough to join a crew next year and that he wants
  to serve aboard the Nebuchadnezzar.

Author used this words: Kid starts going on...

My understanding: Does kid thinking about himself or asking somebody that he is old enough to join with the crew?

I was confused, Can anyone help me how to understand this sentence?


texts: India Prime Minister Vs. Indian Prime Minister Vs. India's Prime Minister

texts:
I have read all of them and they all tell the same thing. The Prime Minster of India. But then, which one is better to use. To me, grammatically, all mean different!

India Prime Minister -what sort of sentence structure is that? Something like America Farmer!
Indian Prime Minister -This talks more about the nationality of the prime minister or character of a person from a particular region. Something like What is the difference between Indian Prime Minister and Japanese Prime Minister. The latter one would have small eyes!
India's Prime Minister - fits better (in my opinion though).

What is your take on these?


texts: "deign not to do" or "don't deign to do"

texts:
1- I am all that you deign not to look at when you walk down the
  street at night.

I saw this sentence above in a movie. Is there a difference between sentence 1 and 2 ?

  2- I am all that you don't deign to look at when you walk down the
  street at night.


texts: What's the adj and adv form for 'quality'?

texts:
I am wondering if qualitative and qualitatively is the adj and adv forms of quality? According to the Collins dictionary, quality itself can also be adjective.

  of high quality -- quality goods

It seems to me that quality and qualitative mean differently when being adjective.

Another dictionary on my phone says there is no comparative or superlative form for the adjective word - quality. Is it true? If yes, why?


texts:
What is the tense of this statement:

  If I had money, I would buy all the happiness in the world.


texts: Is "I could sing in an a Capella group, but I can't sing." a "Guess" or an "ability" in the film "The social network"?

texts:
As we know, modal verbs "could" & "can't" can be used to guess something or state an ability.

Eg: She could be at home now (=It is possible that she is at home now. The chance is 50%)

She can't be at home (=I am quite sure that she is not at home now. The chance is 85-90%

I could swim (= I had an ability to swim in the past)

I can't swim (=I don't have an ability to swim now)

Now, see this conversation int "The social network"

  Mark: Did you know there are more people with genius IQs living in
  China than there are people of any kind living in the United States?

  Mark'girlfriend: That can't possibly be true.

  Mark: It is.

  Mark's girlfriend: What would account for that? Mark: Well, first, an
  awful lot of people live in China, but here's my question.
  How do you distinguish yourself in a population of people who all got
  1600 on their SATs?

  Mark's girlfriend: - I didn't know they take SATs in China.

  Mark:-They don't. I wasn't talking about China anymore, I was talking about
  me.

  Mark's girlfriend: You got a 1600?

  Mark: Yes. I could sing in an a Capella group, but I can't sing.

  Mark's girlfriend: Does that mean you actually got nothing wrong?

  Mark: I could row crew or invent a $25 PC.

My question is that:

The "could" & "can't" the sentence "I could sing in an a Capella group, but I can't sing." express a guess or an ability?

Does "I could sing in an a Capella group" mean "I guess I have 50% chance of singing in an a Capella group now" or "I had an ability to sing in an a Capella group in the past"

&

Does "but I can't sing." mean "I am quite sure that I have 90% chance of not singing in an a Capella group now" or "I don't have an ability to in an a Capella group now"


texts: Comma before "people, which do this and this"

texts:
In this sentence, is the second comma correct?

  However, most operators are moving towards P2P networks,
      which do not have central servers.

From the hot tip on this site, I would think it is correct. I can remove the part starting with which and the sentence is perfectly useful to any reader who knows what a P2P network is.

EDIT: There are no P2P networks with central servers that I could refer to, so I think the comment answers the question.


texts:
I need to give a Toastmasters speech (A Dramatic Talk from the The Entertaining Speaker manual). Here is the task:

Develop an entertaining, dramatic talk about an experience or incident, or give a dramatic reading.
Include vivid imagery, characters and dialogue.
Deliver the talk in an interpretative manner.

I am unsure about the word "dramatic" here. Does it just mean an exciting, suspense-filled, thrilling story? Or is there another meaning to the word drama, e.g., does it imply a tragedy of some sort?


texts: Is it grammatical idiomatic to say "pick us something", I guess so and I need a double check

texts:
it sounds the lecturer is saying

  the value of our function at this point is therefore clearly just f(x).

  we're going to use the same logic
  as before, so we now need to pick us second point to draw our rise
  over run triangle.

is it grammatical idiomatic to say "pick us something", I guess so, things like "pick us an apple".

but when I search "pick us an apple" on google, there are only 2 results which may indicates this is a rarely used expression, so I need a double check.


texts: What does *picked 'em up down South* mean?

texts:
Came across:

  It was Joey Hart, one of Mr. Martin's two assistants, who had explained what the gibberish meant. "She must be a Dodger fan," he had said. "Red Barber announces the Dodger games over the radio and he uses those expressions — picked 'em up down South." Joey had gone on to explain one or two. "Tearing up the pea patch" meant going on a rampage; "sitting in the catbird seat" means sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him.

For context: this story

What does picked 'em up down South mean and why is a dash used before it?


texts: Using 'Do' or 'Does' in the sentence below?

texts:
in the sentence:

  The chart signs (A-G) are matched with the map signs and so 'do or does' the color map?

must we use do or does?


texts: "People are quick to jump on the hype train"?

texts: Hi I am looking for a way of describing people who get easily convinced by something that draws a lot of interest. For example there's a new fashion brand everyone is wearing and they adapt it instantly. I have heard "jump on the hype train" is this the best way of saying it?


texts: What is the English word(s) for "eating salt and sour fruit"

texts:
What is the English word(s) for a true experience when someone has been through a learning process during her/his life.

  In my native language, it's commonly said: She/he has been "eating salt and sour fruit" during her/his life. That's why she/he can easily handle that difficult problem.

*sour fruit is usually tamarind


texts:
Assume that we are using the style with the Oxford comma throughout the text (here we don't discuss the appropriateness of the style itself, plainly assuming that it is given). Where do we put commas in the following sentence:

"The vector x satisfies A and B but not C."

Here, A, B, and C are references to certain formulas mentioned in the text. The meaning of the sentence is A(x) ∧ B(x) ∧ ¬C(x), if anyone cares.

Reference are appreciated (I did not find any online).


texts: Meaning and origin of "country" in Oil Country Tubular Goods

texts:
Oil Country Tubular Goods: Pipe and tube products used in petroleum industry, such as drill pipe, pipe casings, oil pipes.

Why "Country"? What does it mean here? How did it originate?

I would understand "country" if the term concerned some particular company, proud of its land of origin (say, Texas) and thus using this "X country" construction. But since it refers to piping made all over the globe..


texts:
The textbook for my class contains the following chart (in the chart, the relevant verbs are in bold, but it doesn't seem to be possible to replicate this on SE with its nonexistent support for tabular data):

+---+----------------------------------+--------------------------------+
|   | Present Perfect                  | Present Perfect Continuous     |
+======================================+================================+
| 1 | Iris has done a lot of research. | Iris has been doing a lot of   |
|   |                                  | research.                      |
+---+----------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| 2 | I've taken courses at            | I've been taking courses at    |
|   | Hillsborough Community College.  | Hillsborough Community College.|
+---+----------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| 3 | Iris has worked evenings as an   | Iris has been working evenings |
|   | assistant manager for a year.    | as an assistant manager for a  |
|   |                                  | year.                          |
+---+----------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| 4 | I've made an effort to greet     | I've been making an effort to  |
|   | everyone at the beginning of my  | greet everyone at the beginning|
|   | shift since I realized this.     | of my shift since I realized   |
|   |                                  | this.                          |
+---+----------------------------------+--------------------------------+

Below the chart is this explanation:

  The present perfect focuses on  the completion of an action. It describes an action that is finished.
  The present perfect continuous emphasizes the continuation of an action into the present and possibly the future. It focuses on an action in progress.

I don't think the part that I marked in bold is correct. I contend that, in the present perfect (simple), the action in sentence 2 is definitely finished, the action in sentence 4 is definitely ongoing, and and the action in sentences 1 and 3 may be ongoing but it is unknown whether that is definitely the case.

My problem is how to explain these differences. As a native speaker, it is clear to me that it is wrong to say that in all such cases the action is finished. So, how does one determine whether the action in a present perfect simple sentence is ongoing, finished, or undefined?

I speak and teach American English, and the textbook uses American English.


texts: All our problems would/will go away from us

texts:
All our problems would go away from us, if we stop judging people so
much.
All our problems will go away from us, if we stop judging people so
much.

How the the application of "would" and "will" change the meaning of the sentence?


texts: Is it correct to say "depending on that"?

texts:
I was taking notes and I've written:

  Our "State" class can either be "StartState" or "StopState" and depending on that we'll have different functionalities

Is that correct? Idk why but it doesn't sound so xD

Thanks for your time and please feel free to correct any other mistakes I've made!

Have a nice day!