texts: Is it OK if I use the word 'empathized' in this blank?

texts:
Emotions and emotional sensitivity are important to our effectiveness in problem-solving. We would like our actions to be well reasoned and make sense, but each element of a good working relationship depends on emotional input. Our understanding of another person's perceptions and interests will be inadequate unless it is e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -- unless we know, to some degree at least, what it feels like to be in that situation. If we don't understand how others are feeling, our communication may suffer. Only if we recognize how they feel about things will we able to persuade them. Finally, a full acceptance of another person as someone whose interests and views matter depends on our feelings of caring and respect.

May I put empathized in the _s?


texts:
The revolving crew of helpers take good care of their little corner of Beijing, and of their patron, hustling him from the front gate to the waiting car, from meeting to meeting, checked somewhat in their headlong progress by the artist’s natural garrulousness and his fondness for posting photos of himself to social media, a thing he does several times daily, to the delight of the total strangers who often pose with him. (AI WEIWEI
Long-distance relationship - NUVOmagazine)

I just can't make out this phrase. What does this mean?  Thank you.


texts: "Reflect" or "represent" somebody's skills?

texts:
"This way of evaluating better reflects the student's skills."
  "This way of evaluating better represents the student's skills."

Which one is fitting? If both sound bad or if there is anything else that strikes you as odd be sure to tell me as well.


texts:
What's the difference between can,could and may?

I'm an English learner,can you help me?

I'm from China,so I can't understand them...

Thanks!


texts: Distorted Cabins & Oily Sheens: What happens really when a low rumble comes?

texts:
For this text:

  There came a low rumble, which distorted the cabin around her, and cast an oily sheen on the walls.

Could you tell me that what happened really here as the above text says?In this way?---

There came a low rumble,then distorted the cabin?----

(let's suppose that's the cabin of the ship on the picture...)

and then?---

(let's suppose that's the walls on the picture. And an oily sheen on the walls like this on the picture?)

Can it really happen like this? A sound as a low rumble can be so powerful to distort the cabin slightly?

Thank you in advance!

The context is :

  "I can see nothing."     There came a low rumble, which distorted the cabin around her, and cast an oily sheen on the walls. "Watch."

Excerpted from Aliette de Bodard's novel "The Two Sisters in Exile" partly(maybe you needn't read these words) :

  "We're here," The Tortoise in the Lake said, cutting across Dong Huong's gloomy thoughts.
   "I can see nothing."
  There came a low rumble, which distorted the cabin around her, and cast an oily sheen on the walls. "Watch."
   Outside, everything was dark. There was only the shadow of The Two Sisters in Exile, the dead ship that they'd been pulling since Longevity Station.


texts: How should an „anti-human trafficking operation“ be hyphenated? I recently saw this expression in a newspaper article, with a hyphen between „anti“ and „human“. It took me some time to figure out that it meant an operation against trafficking of humans, and not a trafficking operation that was anti-human. Are there rules for hyphenation when one of the parts to be joined consists of several words?


texts:
Toward the beginning of Denis Diderot's 1748 fable Les bijoux indiscrets (The Indiscreet Jewels), the genie Cucufa seeks to gratify the desire of the sultan Mangogul to have the women of his court speak frankly of their sexual adventures.

This is an extract from the book Hard Core: Power, Pleasure and the Frenzy of Visible by Linda Williams. I would like to know whether the highlighted passage is causative? Is my interpretation of this sentence correct? Cucufa wants to gratify Mangogul's pleasure by allowing the girls to speak frankly about their sexual adventures?


texts: I know that bored is used to describe how we feel, like I was bored at home. But is it correct to say: It is boring at the pond?


texts:
You can tick in an option to favorite the channel
  for the whole team and members joining it.

What does the bold part mean? Does it mean "you can tick in an option to favorite the channel where the whole team and members are joining"?


texts:
The lyrics to Black by Pearl Jam go like:

Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay

Were laid spread out before me, as her body once did...

I thought was was more appropriate than did above because it seems to make more sense to say untouched sheets of clay were laid spread out before me as her body once [was spread], with the bracketed part left out because of ellipsis. But I've read did used instead of was/were countless times, and it's discomfited me every single time.
What is the rule here?


texts: What is the meaning of "casket grey" in this sentence?

texts:
I read a sentence in a chapter named "Discovering Tut: the saga continues":

  Dark bellied clouds had scudded across the desert sky all day and now
  were veiling the stars in casket grey.

Casket means a chest or any rectangular box.
But I'm not able to figure out the context in which it has been used.


texts: We tooled down the street. What's the nuance?

texts:
We tooled down the street. (tool=drive)
I feel this expression is not used these days. What did you feel (as native English speakers) when you read(past read) this sentence? Is this expression acceptable and idiomatic?


texts: Which can be gathered most likely to be encountered? - Test 3, Q25, by Mark Shepherd

texts:
From Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law by Mark Shepherd, page 144, last para:

  ...Second is the idea that the experience of long- term unemployment may be less stigmatising,
  and hence less stressful and health damaging, in areas where unemployment
  rates have been traditionally high. Where the chances of unemployment are perceived
  as higher and jobs, once lost, more difficult to regain, being unemployed may be seen
  as more of the norm, rather than a defi ciency of the individual. Conversely, in more
  prosperous areas, with lower unemployment, being unemployed for a long time may
  be perceived as an aberrant and personally stigmatising situation...

Question 25, p.145:

Which of these situations can be gathered to be most likely to be
encountered?
(a) Under- reporting of unemployment in areas of low long- term unemployment
(b) Under- reporting of unemployment in areas of high long- term unemployment
(c) Over- reporting of unemployment in areas of low long- term unemployment
(d) Over- reporting of unemployment in areas of high long- term unemployment
(e) None of the above

From the answer key, p.236:

(a) CORRECT. It is stated that ‘in more prosperous areas, with lower unemployment,
being unemployed for a long time may be perceived as an aberrant
and personally stigmatising situation’. This implies that people are likely to
under- report unemployment in such areas.
(b), (e) INCORRECT. See (a).
(c), (d) INCORRECT. The article does not address the issue of over- reporting of
unemployment.

Why's (d) wrong? Doesn't the bolded prove it?  Can't the answer key's argument be reused to argue (d)?


texts:
Below is what I read in a film comment. The second sentence makes sense to me, but I don't know how to decompose it. There's only one verb, but two objects - both 'cello' and 'his original composition' need to be played.
Is this the case where the verb has double objects? If that's so, then I feel like there should be a preposition before 'cello', just to sound right in my ears. Could someone tell me what grammar is this called?
Thanks.

Another academic moment conveys him quoting a long passage from Keats. Or playing cello with a quintet his original composition Like Sunday, Like Rain.


texts: What are needed {is/are} managers with new ideas and the will to apply them

texts:
According to the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Huddleston and Pullum (page 505), the following sentence is grammatical with either "is" or "are" as the verb of the main clause:

  What are needed is/are managers with new ideas and the will to apply them.

I'd just like to know how many native speakers, which I'm not by the way, would actually use "is" over "are" in this particular sentence.


texts: Are "whereunto", "in which" and "whereto" all synonymous?

texts:
This comes from Romantic Poets and the Culture of Posterity
By Andrew Bennett:

  Let us conclude with the dignity and excellency of knowledge and
  learning in that whereunto man's nature doth most aspire; which is
  immortality or continuance; for to this tendeth generation, and
  raising of houses and families; to this tend buildings, foundations,
  and monuments; to this tendeth the desire of memory, fame, and
  celebration; and in effect, the strength of all other human desires'.

I find it weird that "whereunto" means the same thing as "in which" since I rarely hear "whereto" being used nowadays, and the words taken separately don't mean anything similar.


texts: How to determine if 'would' is simple past or past subjunctive here?

texts:
Andrew McKillop, author of The World’s Final Energy Crisis, calculates that

  ✘ (b) China,
  India and other developing countries will never be able to achieve the vehicle
  “saturation” ownership levels of the US. ✘

  “There is simply no prospect of China,
  India, Malaysia, Brazil, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Mexico and other emerging car producers being able to achieve US, west European, Australian or Japanese rates of
  car production and ownership,” he says. “At current consumption rates, the
  estimate of

  ✓ 3.5bn motor vehicles would increase world oil consumption by about
  70%.” ✓

  In fact, the petrol used to fuel a car is the very end of a massive industrial
  process that requires oil at every point. Each car requires up to the equivalent of
  55 barrels of oil, and runs on tyres that are about 40% oil by weight, often on
  tarmac (oil-based) roads. The real volume of oil needed to equip the world with
  cars is much higher than expected. “Not only is an explosion of the world car fleet
  a serious threat to the global environment," McKillop says, “but through its impact
  on oil demand, it will become a threat to international stability.”

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2005/jun/30/green.travel (featured in LNAT Sample 1, Passage 7, Q4)

I'm trying to determine which sentence, within ✘ or ✓ , is a fact according to the passage. I had thought that ✘ was a fact, due to the use of the simple future 'will', and the verb 'calculates'. Moreover, I interpreted would as a hedge word, expressing doubt/uncertainty. But the answer is ✓. My friend (both our English is basic) claims that would is the simple past of 'will.'

But how does this explain my wrong choice? https://english.stackexchange.com/a/21832/50720 doesn't state that would is a hedge word. Because all subjunctives expresses doubt (among other moods) (About.com for English is too curt), if I'm right that would is past subjunctive, then ✓ is NOT a fact?


texts:
Q: How have the (terror) attacks affected tourism in Turkey? A: Badly.`

Reading a table about the number of tourists visiting the country, the meaning is clear. They meant the attacks affected the tourism heavily. But could 'badly affected', not considering the context, mean 'almost not affected'?


texts: Why is there an "a" before a plural noun?

texts:
In Washigton Post headline:

  "Watch Obama defend a Trump supporter’s rights at a Clinton
  rally"

Why is there an "a" before Trump supporter's rights ?

Is this because it is a special way to write  headlines or is there a grammar rule I miss here ?

Source: www.washingtonpost.com


texts: Is "fittest" as in "survival of the fittest" still used this way today?

texts: Can "fittest" still be used to say "the most fitting", just like in the set phrase "survival of the fittest" that was written by Charles Darwin quite some time ago? Or does it only mean "the most fit", meaning "the most sportive"? Thanks!


texts:
I was reading the indictment of Paul J. Manafort, as published by The New York Times, and I got stuck on a sentence starting with

  From in or about and between 2006 and 2017 [...]

I understand that the starting date here is not certain, and could be before or after 2006, but I can think of many more straightforward1 ways to say that, like “from around 2006, to 2017”.

I'd like to understand a) how to unfold that sentence grammatically, and b) what the reasons are for using this particular construct.

1 For me as a non native speaker, at least.


texts:
Is the word "advocated" here neutral? Is the word usually a bit negative (because it makes me link it to commercial advertisement).

“Because we were very alarmed by the geopolitical tensions between major powers, we advocated from the outset for global solidarity,” says Tedros in an e-mail to Nature.

Source:  Nature  Nature’s 10: ten people who helped shape science in 2020


texts:
When describing a report, should I write:

  this 175 page document contains information about...

or

  this 175 pages document contains information about...

Or possibly with a dash? (175-page document, 175-pages document)?


texts:
Is there any idiom that means "go ahead with something"? I thought about "giving oneself the green light", "get a jump on something", but the first one is contrived and the second one means something partially different from "go ahead with something". Can you think of a good replacement for that idiom?

  I wanted to go ahead with the idea of getting myself a breast implant.

  I will weigh the benefits and consequences before going ahead with the
  idea of getting a nose surgery.


texts: Difference between "Have Thought", "Have Just Thought" and "Just Thought"?

texts:
I was told that use of present perfect is incorrect in the context below as thinking action is discrete event and there isn't any relevance with the current situation. (Context is a situation where I've been looking for my keys for the last couple of minutes and my friend informs me where the keys are. Just a minute ago my friend informs me the same information comes to my mind)

My friend: The keys are on the desk.

Me: I have thought the same thing.

I was told that instead of "I have thought the same thing" it is correct to use "I thought the same thing" or "I was thinking the same thing."

My questions then concern the two examples below:

Example 1

My friend: The keys are on the desk.

Me: I have just thought the same thing

Example 2

My friend: The keys are on the desk.

Me: I just thought the same thing

Similar to the use of "I have thought the same thing" is Example 1 incorrect to use (present perfect + Just)? Does present perfect fit semantically in this context with or without time adverb "just"?

Can I use Example 2 (simple past +just)? Because several resources indicate that present perfect + just and simple past +just essentially mean the same thing. Is there any semantical difference between Example 1 & Example 2?


texts: Writing style when a question mark, apostrophe mark, and a comma come together

texts:
I'm writing a sentence -

  If you have a question on 'How to make french fries?', here is the answer.

MS Word shows an error because of those three tiny creatures - a question mark, a closing inverted comma, and a comma itself.

  ?',

Now, I wonder what to omit?

Question mark is required because it is a question. I must close the quote, so apostrophe sign is also required. A comma is also required because the sentence pauses there.

How to write it correctly?


texts:
I just noticed a sentence in an academic paper which says:

  This symposium has marshaled numerous insights regarding the emergence of a general field of inquiry within international law on the movement of people. To move into this conceptual terrain has required a certain amount of defiance of the conventional wisdom that questions of migration are within the purview of the sovereign state, and a matter of sovereign territorial prerogative.

But, this structure sounds somewhat weird to my non-native ears. If I wanted to write this sentence, I would start by "moving", not "to move".

Anyway, is the original sentence grammatically correct? (if yes, why?) What about starting with "moving"?


texts:
In an ROBERT LOWELL's interview, in interviewer's question, I don't get the meaning of the part.

Also in LOWELL's answer I dont get the part in italic, could any one help me to understand?

INTERVIEWER
           But something of Crane does seem to have gotten into your work—or maybe it’s just that sence of power thrashing about. I
thought it had come from a close admiring reading of Crane.

LOWELL
           Yes, some kind of wildness and power that appeals to me, I guess. But when I wrote difficult poems they weren’t meant
to be difficult, though I don’t know that Crane meant his to be. I
wanted to be loaded and rich, but I thought the poems were all
perfectly logical. You can have a wonderful time explaining a great
poem like “Voyages II,” and it all can be explained, but in the end
it’s just a love poem with a great confusion of images that are
emotionally clear; a prose paraphrase wouldn’t give you any
impression whatever of the poem. I couldn’t do that kind of poem, I
don’t think; at least I’ve never been able to.

Here is the link of interview:
       https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/4664/robert-lowell-the-art-of-poetry-no-3-robert-lowell


texts:
I found the following sentence in a book about Einstein's special relativity,

  The equation E = mc^2 has (at least in popular accounts)
  been so exclusively linked to nuclear transformations as to divert
  attention from its universality.

I don't think as to here means regarding. Another meaning I found of as to is according to, but this meaning too doesn't seem to fit in the context above.

So how does one interpret as to in the above construction?


texts: Article before "possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine"

texts:
I am having a bit of hard time pondering over why there is not an article before "Possible who pre-qualification of the vaccine" in the following sentence:

We are in close contact with Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO prequalification of the vaccine.

This excerpt has been taken from "The Economic Times" newspaper.


texts: Do I use the apostrophe when referring possessivizing "humans"?

texts:
I want to talk about what humans usually eat.

  Do you use humans’ diet in English?

Thanks


texts: "A few years later" vs "A few Years from now"

texts:
May I know for the following two sentences:

"A few years later" vs "A few years from now"

which is grammatical?


texts:
What is the difference between "likelihood" and "probability"?

Iv'e check the dictionaries for that questions and it seems that there's no a difference. Cambridge dictionary even call them clearly also synonyms. But Wikipedia makes me a little bit confused about it:

  "Probability is the measure of the likelihood that an event will occur."

So if they're the same we can say that "the probability is the measure of the probability that an event will occur." and it from wikipedia definition it seems that they're two different things.

So are they really synonyms and interchangeable in all if not most of the cases or there are cases that I should use one of them only?

For example:

There is an high probability/ likelihood that today will be rainy.
The likelihood / probability that spermatozoön will go to the uterus tissue is very low.
The probability / likelihood for such event is not really real.
The probability / likelihood that we will have class on Saturday is 50 %.

In all of these cases, it is just a matter of choice which one (probability or likelihood) to chose?


texts: What is the difference between "decide for yourself" and "decide by yourself," and is the latter idiomatic?


texts: The meaning of "The evening was voted a great success."

texts:
The evening was voted a great success.

I don't understand what does this sentence mean.

Everybody agreed that the evening was a great success.
The result of the election was a great success in the evening.

Can someone help me ?


texts:
The students are grouped in this way: 30 in each classroom.
The students are grouped in the next way: 30 in each classroom.

Which is the correct version and if both are correct which is the best to be used?


texts:
Let's say there is a method/way that doesn't work in your case. Like this:

  spur-of-the-moment decisions do not work for me.

Or

  spur-of-the-moment decisions do not work to me.

Or

  spur-of-the-moment decisions do not work on me.

I find it difficult which of these is the correct one, cause they all make sense.


texts: Another way to say "would love/hate/like to have done something"

texts:
I would love to have seen her.

How often would you use such a construction--that is, I am wondering if it is a formal structure?

In addition, could you show me some other way to express the same meaning?

Many thanks


texts: Idiom for a doctor telling a patient that he's terminally ill

texts:
Suppose a doctor is telling his patient that he is terminally ill and he's got only a few months to live. I assume this kind of situation can be described concisely with this form,

  A doctor is X-ing his patient.
  (<-- X being an unknown verb)

but I found it's quite tricky to search for this verb (or idiom) in Google. Does anyone have a suggestion?


texts:
I treat Jhon in the same way as I do Jane.

I treat Jhon as I do Jane.

I treat Jhon like I do Jane.

I think these are all natural, but how about this?

I treat Jhon in the same way that I do Jane.

Is is right grammatically?


texts: what does "for" mean in "For any prominent thinker's warning of disaster to be wrong"

texts:
From "Averting a Death Foretold" by Gregg Eastarbrook:

For any prominent thinker's warning of disaster to be wrong is the best possible outcome for society, if reform explains the discrepancy between forecast and result.

Is for a preposition or conjunction? And  what's the meaning of "for"? I feel this usage is weird.


texts: Is "shut up" a noun phrase in "James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here"?

texts:
James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell - also, Dumbledore's still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions.

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I feel "shut up" is a noun phrase in this context, meaning confined. But I couldn't find it a noun phrase in any dictionary. So, I'm not sure if my understand is correct. How should we understand it?


texts: "busting in their crib" what does it mean?

texts:
"Draftpicks busting in their cribs" that said one of the man from basketball video "Game of zones" and I'm not sure what does it mean...Does it mean screaming or dying? is that means that nobody take care of them?
Thank you for any answer in advance!


texts:
Is this a correct way to write? I mean using present participle extemporizing.

Too important to be left to
'extemporizing'


texts: Why do some foreign english speakers preface people's names with the definite article "the?"

texts:
I work with people from various nationalities and I've noticed over the years that they use The when referencing someone by name, for example

  Today I was talking to THE Bob about lunch.

Has anyone noticed this? It's curios and wondered if it might have something to do with their native language.

I work with Hindus and east Asians.


texts:
Maybe it will be possible to pass the English speaking interview in a few months if you will be watching movies with English subs every day and clarify the misunderstanding of English grammar.

Is there any conditional in this sentence? More specifically, is there an if-will exclusive in my example?


texts: present perfect vs present perfect continuous confusion

texts:
I have a confusion between present perfect tense and present perfect continuous tense. Here I describe a situation.

Ram read story book from his childhood day. Ram preferred reading story book when he was a kid. He became adolescence and read story book. Now he is a teenager and still continuing reading.

Now, if I want to express it with a time span from childhood to present what is the best way to define the situation grammatically?

Ram has read story book since he was a child.(Present Perfect)

2.Ram has been reading story book since he was a child.(Present perfect continuous)

Thank you


texts: Should I not to use articles when books are used as reference?

texts:
"when we are referring to" vs. "when we refer to" uses the following sentence to give the source of a reference.

  From English Grammar Today on Cambridge Dictionary

I found a lot of posts say it the same way, without any articles before the name "English Grammar Today".

I guess it's because "English Grammar Today" is kind of book name.

So, the following rule

  We don’t usually use articles with individual mountains or lakes when the name includes Mount or Lake: Mount Fuji, Lake Victoria. We don’t use articles with continents (Asia), countries (Romania), towns (Edinburgh), and streets (Lombard Street).

could be expanded as

  ... We don’t usually use articles with book names when the books are used as a reference.

is my understanding correct?


texts: meaning of "make-up" (besides to compensate)

texts:
More accurately I'm asking about made up. Can it be used in the same way as ended up?

  She made up looking wonderful after going to the hairdresser

Now I know it's kinda weird. There are simpler ways to say that phrase.
I'm asking this because in the subject of gerunds and infinitives I'm asked to correct the mistake in the following sentence:

  The hairdresser made me to look wonderful

Now the easiest way to fix it is "made me look wonderful" and case closed. But is "look" by itself an infinitive? I got confused by this and started looking up ways to fix it with "looking/to look". Can it even be done this way?


texts: Why does the definite article appear in "the mid-40s"?

texts:
Why is the definite article used before mid-40s and 30s in this sentence from a Washington Post weather report?

  Highs are mainly limited to the mid-40s, with wind chills in the 30s so bundle up.

I am confused because I don't see what is being specified and thus calls for the article, and also because the same site has other lines without the definite article. The following sentences contain a mix of usages with and without the article.

  The incoming surge of colder air pushes lows into the mid- to upper 20s, with low 30s limited to downtown.

  Winds finally begin to die down overnight under starry skies. Lows range from mid-20s to low 30s.

  Highs get up to the more seasonable mid-50s. Overnight is clear, with lows in the upper 20s to mid-30s.


texts: Does 'have to offer' in this context mean 'want to offer'?

texts:
I've seen 'have to offer', in job interviews or some advertisements. Am I right to think that those 'have to' actually means want to? (mm...how do I make 'have to' plural..?)

And here I have a writing by a native.
Am I right to think that he's being a little sarcastic when he says 'have to offer' here? I believe 'offer' is something in good nature, proposals or gifts. I think it sounds like he sees other alliances as though they have been surrendered to them, but am I wrong?

  We took on the largest Meta and still didn't skip a beat. We stand united in our convictions and could care less what other alliances have to offer.


texts:
Please kindly help me understand the rules under which zero articles are used before the nouns appearing to be countable in these examples:

  As will be explained in [para] 2.3, several different types of company can be registered.  The contents of the application for registration depend on the type of company being registered.

  A claim for misrepresentation may sometimes be a claim for breach of contract.

I had a chance to read this response (Can a singular noun follows zero-article?), which is very helpful and interesting. I wish to confirm whether my understanding is correct that 'type of company' is a compound phrase and 'a' before 'company' is redundant (my understanding is based on that response). Does this apply to 'breach of [a] contract'? Or does 'contract' have an uncountable meaning there (as the branch of law)?

Further, ‘misrepresentation’ and ‘breach’ seem to have the same meaning when used countably or uncountably (based on dictionaries).  If this is so, in what contexts are the words like these used countably and uncountably? How can I resolve this if I wish to use them in a particular context?


texts: What does "whose" refer to in the sentence? Is it miswritten?

texts:
Below is a line from a JAPANTODAY news article.

The mini-series comprising six one-hour episodes will be based on a
screenplay supervised by Mark Goffman, whose was a writer for "The
West Wing" and, more recently, the executive producer for the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy".

I wonder what "whose" is referring to in the sentence because if it refers to Mark Goffman, then "who" is the right relative pronoun to use, isn't it?


texts:
Have a seat, guys

I think "have a seat" is a fixed phrase that does not change whether you address someone or a group of people.

Is that correct?

If you have more to add to the post, please do so as I would love to know more.


texts: Can I place "too" next to any element of a sentence to refer to the other elements in the sentence - not just the subject of the sentence

texts:
As you know, "too" is usually placed at the end of a sentence and it refers to the subject of the sentence. So far so good.
But many times, we need to refer to other parts of sentences (eg object, verb, place etc). For instance:
"James ate an apple in the car yesterday, too"
As we know, the "too" in this sentence refers to James(because it is the subject) and emphasizes that "Amongst other people who ate an apple, there was James"
But as I said, what I want to do is to refer to the other elements in this sentence; "the apple, in the car, yesterday, to eat."
So can I change the location of "too" in the sentence to refer to the other elements. For instance can I use "too" in the following ways:
1-James ate, too, an apple in the car yesterday. (I want to emphasize that James did many actions yesterday. And among those actions he did the action of "eating")
2-James ate an apple, too, in the car yesterday. (I want to emphasize that James ate many things yesterday. And among those was an "apple")
3-James ate an apple in the car, too, yesterday.(I want to emphasize that James ate an apple in another place and he ate one "in the the car")
4-James ate an apple in the car, yesterday, too.(I want to emphasize that James ate an apple other days and he did the same yesterday)
By the way, I know that in the 4th sentence, "too" would naturally refer to the subject, as it always does. And I also know that other locations of the "too" in 1, 2, 3 would not be acceptable.
So, my question is if I can't use "too" as shown in the above 1,2,3 locations, how can we use English to refer to whatever element of a sentence we would like to refer to, regardless of it being "a subject, verb, object, place, etc"


texts: Is "Billie said he is hungry" a correct alternative to "Billie said I'm hungry"?

texts: I understand that said is usually used with reported speech alone, and that told is used with an object. I just want to make sure that the sentence "Billie said he is hungry" is correct.


texts: I got an example of sentence which may be corrected

texts:
I got a sentence says " I'm a catfish "

or

  I got a sentence saying " I'm a catfish "

or you have the right example for that?


texts:
The girls were pretty wild. They stayed at my house and they had bought cocaine the night before. I woke up the morning and they were still awake

I don't see the necessity of past perfect here as the night before is stated which means the night before they stayed it is crystal clear.

May be if it was bought we could think that both events took place the night before, that is the only explication I can find


texts: What are the alternatives for "If I were you"?

texts:
What alternative phrases should I use for "If I were you" / "If I was you"?

Is there any alternative to say the above-mentioned phrase?

Are the below sentences can be used as alternatives:

If I'm you
If I'm in your position etc.


texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct?

"I had been able to sing before I entered kindergarten." which expresses something that happened before another past action.

Not many grammar books mention this.


texts: What is the grammar of the sentence "this is not some science fiction movie come to life."

texts:
The sentence is:

  This is not some science fiction movie come to life.

Is this sentence grammatically right? If this sentence is right, please tell me what the grammatical rule about the word come is, why does it use form come rather than the others like to come.

Thanks in advance!


texts:
Lets say someone has 10 trading cards of a fictive trading card game in his hand. He plays a card with an effect. This effect says: You discard any of your cards and this effect is activated...
Would this mean the player discards all his cards, or does it mean he can discard just one card of any type/class.


texts: Subjunctive construction involving "that"

texts:
From a prep book for GMAT:

Note that you should ALWAYS just use the base form of the verb in such a subjunctive construction involving the "that" clause.

Wrong:

  she recommended that John should take the ferry.
  she recommended that
  John takes the ferry.
  she recommended that John had taken the ferry.

Correct:

  she recommended that John take the ferry.

I understood this, but here is the question.

  In the most bizarre court case this mouth, the judge ruled that two
  ping-pong ball manufacturers owed restitution to four national
  ping-pong teams for the illegal weighting of the ping-pong balls in
  an effort to fix the tournament.

  (A) that two ping-pong ball
  manufacturers owed restitution to four national ping-pong teams for
  the illegal weighting of
  (B) ...

The correct choice is A, which is no mistake. However I thought the word owed should be owe

Isn't it true?


texts: Is it grammatically correct to say get fun 'get pleasure, receive positive emotions' instead of have fun?


texts:
"Was spent"
We don't pronounce it as a: /waz spent/
 We do it as a: /was'spent/ (without any gap between was and spent?)
Did I understand it correctly?


texts: Should the word 'from' be between 'you' and 'receiving'?

texts:
I recently visited a website and on its main page it had the following sentence:

This makes it nearly impossible for anyone to stop you receiving payments or using services

This feels unnatural to me, and I don't know the reason why. I think it should be written as:

This makes it nearly impossible for anyone to stop you from receiving payments or using services.

I googled and all I came up with was this site which does list some 'from receiving' usages:
https://sentence.yourdictionary.com/receiving
To use ‘from’ or not to use ‘from’? That is my question.
Is this British English by chance?


texts:
Kitty: 'Jair surprised me by asking whether I might be interested in working with him'. (1)
Kitty: 'Jair surprised me when asking whether I might be interested in working with him'. (2)

Could (1) mean that Jair asked directly to Kitty, whereas (2) means he asked to someone else who was near enough to her that she heard the question? E.g., what do by and when change the meaning of Kitty's speech?


texts:
Sometimes I see the former, as in "starve to death".

But sometimes I see the latter as well, as in "fight to the death", or in the following quote:

  I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
  – Evelyn Beatrice Hall

When do I use which?


texts: is there a difference between these sentences? said v saying

texts:
is there a difference between these sentences:-
he knew what he was saying or he knew what he said.
Context: Guy A said something in past, he meant everything he said. Now, in the present, which sentence is the best to communicate that information?


texts: What does "cranked out with abandon" mean?

texts:
I'm trying to understand this line –– cranked out with abandon. Does it mean that Fox produced lots of bad and cheap merchandise without any shame? Or it means something else?

  Season 8, which ran from October of 1996 to May of 1997, has more than
  one episode that doesn’t quite fit with the rest of The Simpsons,
  which may be why Season 8 has the feeling of a show that is winding
  itself down. Starting all the way back in Season 1, with a joke about
  cartoons being on in primetime, The Simpsons had always sent itself up
  along with everything else. Whether it was laughing at its own
  Thanksgiving parade float, describing its theme music as an “annoying
  tune”, quickly glancing at the fourth wall, or making jokes about the
  endless merchandise FOX cranked out with abandon, the show often found
  lighthearted ways to poke fun at itself and its success.

  source


texts:
As you know the following sentences have the same meaning.

  Had they had any savings they didn't need, they would've re-paid their
  son's student loan.

  If they had had any savings they didn't need, they would've re-paid
  their son's student loan.

I would like to know can we apply the first sentence structure to different condition sentences/tenses.

For example :

  If I had any savings, I would pay my son's student loan.

Can I say:

  Have I had any savings, I would pay my son's student loan.

I mean can we make sentences with if  by placing the auxiliary verb at the beginning of sentence without implying differently in different tenses.

( I can change the title if you have another idea)


texts: The meaning of 'rutting' in Tennessee Williams' 'A Streetcar Named Desire'

texts:
Chapter XI begins as follows:

STANLEY: Drew to an inside straight and made it, by God.

PABLO: Maldita sea tu suerte!

STANLEY: Put it in English, greaseball.

PABLO: I am cursing your rutting luck.

I wonder what Pablo tried to mean by 'rutting luck'.

Is it damned luck that he said? Then how could rutting be translated as damned?


texts:
For numbers of seconds, is it smaller or equal to 1 we use second, larger than 1 we use seconds?

For example:

  0 second
  0.5 second
  1 second
  1.5 seconds


texts:
come what may = [with object]
  Make (something elaborate or dainty) from various elements:

Example Sentence 1 is: In the Eucharistic service, the priest confects the bread as Christ's body.
Google produces some more examples, but not from scholarly or erudite sources.
I deem the above wrong because the priest converts the bread, but doesn't make it from scratch?


texts: perfect tense with future time reference

texts:
If it came yesterday he will surely have told her.

  -- The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language

When I saw “Call me in the morning and I’ll have selected your living quarters (Invisible Man)”, its perfect tense was quite understandable.
But the example does not differentiate from ‘If it came yesterday he will surely told her’. Is there semantic difference between the two? If yes, on what case can the one with perfect tense be used?


texts: A smile "plays about one's lips"? Shouldn't it be "plays on one's lips"?

texts:
I have seen quite a few places where a smile plays about one's lips comes up

  When Elise saw these things that were so dear to her heart, a smile played about her lips and the blood came back to her cheeks at the thought of being able to save her brothers.

  She leaned back, her eyes closed and a light smile played about her lips.

This page has plenty of examples from real-life sources, and so does Google Books.

I can't understand why the preposition "about" appears here, instead of "on." A smile, as far as I understand, should play on one's lip, and play about means to play around. Am I wrong?


texts:
The Golden State Warriors are in the midst of one of those charmed NBA seasons that happen only so often.
  (from a WSJ article)

I cannot find the meaning of "only so often" here. Is this a idiom or should I separate, like only, so often??


texts: "Take smth over to" and the role of "over"

texts:
"Now I'm gonna take these over to the cooker..."

This is being said  by a man, a chef, in a cooking video. "These" refers to meatballs on a cutting board lying in front of the chef. The cooker is behind him. So after saying that, the next moment he's going to turn away from the camera and step to the cooker with the cutting board in his hand.

My question is, what are other options for describing this movement, apart from "take these over to" (e.g. with "put" or "place")? Could you please give me some more examples of using "take smth over to" and explain the role of "over" in there?

Thank you.


texts: Which sentence is correct and which sentence sounds natural?

texts: "A machine that could be manufactured at low cost". or  "A machine that could manufacture at low cost"


texts: "They had agreed to go" or "agreed to go to?"

texts:
What's the correct  construction when the go ends with a punctuation? Example:

  At the alleyway they'd agreed to go (to), Mary spotted many tiny bars.

Is the "to" needed? Why or why not?


texts:
Is this sentence correct?

  I can't breathe properly about 3 days.


texts: Is "being raised getting trained" a correct expression?

texts:
I have a simple question about my phrasing a thought. The exemplary sentence I would say is as follows:

  He was raised getting trained about restaurant management.

However, as I googled "raised getting trained" part, it yielded only 4-5 results. How would you paraphrase this sentence in a most native sounding way?


texts: Why was "dream of" used instead of "dream about" in this case?

texts:
“She lives in a large copper castle, surrounded by walls and towers. No one but the king himself can pass in or out, for there has been a prophecy that she will marry a common soldier, and the king cannot bear to think of such a marriage.”
  .
  .
  .
  She was lying on the dog’s back asleep, and looked so lovely, that every one who saw her would know she was a real princess.The soldier could not help kissing her, true soldier as he was. Then the dog ran back with the princess; but in the morning, while at breakfast with the king and queen, she told them what a singular dream she had had during the night, of a dog and a soldier, that she had ridden on the dog’s back, and been kissed by the soldier.

This is a part of the fairy tale "The Tinder-Box" written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1835.
In that boldface part, why was "of" used instead of "about"?
I've already read this Q/A; "Dream of" and "dream about". Is there a difference?
But I still don't understand why in this case.

In short, what's the difference between the two sentences below?

  She had a singular dream of a dog and a soldier during the night.
  She had a singular dream about a dog and a soldier during the night.

Thanks for your help in advance.


texts: Adverb between conjugated verb and infinitive?

texts:
The judicial function in considering and applying statutes is one of interpretation and interpretation alone. The duty of the court in every case is loyally to endeavour to ascertain the intention of the legislature; and to ascertain that intention by reading and interpreting the language which the legislature itself has selected for the purpose of expressing it. (Source)

1. What's this phenomenon called? Is this placement unusual or due to  my English's primitiveness?

2. Why not situate the adverb after 'endeavour', or even split the infinitive 'to endeavour' and wedge it in between?  What are the similarities and differences due to a different position?


texts:
From movie Hail, Caesar!. Josh Brolin's character says it about an actor who's dumb and who can't play in serious drama.

  "Hobie Doyle? He's a dust actor! He hardly knows how to talk!"

The official Russian dub translated "dust actor" as "He only plays in westerns" and I'm not sure if it's correct.


texts: What "have gone to someone" really mean?

texts:
I came across this video where the lady that teaches English says, "she has gone to her mother." Supposedly to mean "she is like her mother." It's not that I don't believe her, I'm just double checking. Because, I have never heard that saying. Plus that channel have given wrong information in the past. Anyway, I went ahead and googled the idiom and I couldn't find it, just found another one that is similar to that one. Which is; "be gone to someone"   which means; "to really like/be attracted to someone." I really want to learn English well that's why I'm asking if anyone knows the expression, please share with me.

Link to the video: https://youtu.be/08-5feh91qw

Edit: if you check out the video, jump to min. 8:47 to see her saying the expression.


texts: Why can't I contract "it has" sometimes?

texts:
Why can we contract "it has" to "it's" in some sentences but not others?
For example:
Why is this correct

It's been moved (It has been moved)

this incorrect

It's four legs (It has four legs)

and this correct

It's got four legs (It has got four legs)

What are the differences here?


texts: A question regarding the structure "question word + to-infinitive"

texts:
A question word can be used before a to-infinitive to express an indirect question about what should be done. (cited from here)

Does this sentence mean that "question word + to-infinitive" can only be used as object of a verb? Can the structure be used as subject of a verb, subject complement, object of a proposition, appositive? If so, please give me some examples.


texts: Can I say "be sure you are adapted to the idea" when I'm asking for someone's agreement or support?

texts:
I want to know more about the word adapt. Is it good to use it to connect people and things?

For example, is it ok to say: I adapt to playing basketball?


texts: Difference between “charge” and “charge for”

texts:
I am a beginner in English. I see below excerpts that use charge and charge for. May it same or different mean?

  Your advertisement only mentions charges for calls made outside business hours.

  How much are customers on this plan charged for making calls during peak hours?

  Finally, cell phone companies normally charge an upgrade or registration fee. Will HyperC0m charge me any extra fees if I upgrade to the OH-Peak Plan?


texts: Is my understanding of the paragraph correct?

texts:
I was reading a book called Enlightnment Now and found a paragraph that I find quite difficult to understand. The paragraph is about critiquing subjectivism. The paragraph is as follows:

The claim "Everything is subjective" must be nonsense, for it would
itself have to be either subjective or objective. But it can't be
objective, since in that case it would be false if true. And it can't
be subjective, because then it would not rule out any objective claim,
including the claim that it is objectively false. There may be some
subjectivists, perhaps styling themselves as pragmatists, who present
subjectivism as applying even to itself. But then it does not call for
a reply, since it is just a report of what the subjectivist finds it
agreeable to say.

My understanding is as follows: In order to find out whether the claim that "Everything is subjective" is true or not, it is necessary to consider objectivism (because being true or false involves objectivity). However, if the claim is objective, then it contradicts its very statement, for it is no longer a subjective statement. If the claim is subjective, then it cannot serve as a refutation against objectivism because the claim merely describes what the subjectivist thinks.
I would like to know if my understanding of the paragraph is acceptable. I would be glad if you could help me out.


texts: Which is grammatically appropriate: what you brought me or what you brought for me?

texts:
In informal US English, is the "for" optional in a sentence like this:

  I want to know what you brought (for) me.

Is it written like this, instead:

  I want to know what you brought me.


texts:
In her work, Sabine forgot to check the validity of some figures.
Robert, one of her colleagues reviewing her work before approving it, wrote in his remarks: "Wouldn't we need to check the validity of the column 3, as well ?"
My question is:
1- Why didn't Robert simply say : "Don't we need to check the validity of the column 3, as well ?"
2- Is there any subtilty between the two questions ?
I have the feeling that the one used showed that Robert was a little impatient with her work.
Especially when using a question.
Because, if I were reviewing, I would just say :
"We also need to check column 3."
"Please, check column 3."
or
"It looks like you forgot to check column 3".
Thank you


texts:
Today we say "Where are you going?" or simply "Where to?" instead of "Where are you bound for?"
The question of this thread is where "Where are you bound for?" would sound odd today or whether it is still in use.

Doorman: Where are you bound for,general?
General McArthor: West Point.
Doorman:  A beautiful place. Have you been there before?

(The above is what I remembered from my memory about "Duty, Honor, Country" speech years ago)


texts:
I was watching a video and the guy in the video said this :

  "... All the methods I have talked about in the past are correct but
  there is an alternative path like many things in training" (he
  is talking about different exercise methods.)

I wonder why using "like many things in" above sounds idiomatic but using "like the case in" in the sentence below sounds unidiomatic ?

  1- As is the case in a plethora of English-language papers, the
  writer chose this extremely common construction. (This was written by
  a native speaker.)

  1a- Like the case in a plethora of English-language papers, the writer chose this extremely common construction. (I was told that this was not at all idiomatic.)


texts:
Which is preferred? More common?

  The ways I have learned to cope include...

  The ways in which I have learned to cope include...

  The ways I have learned to cope in include...

I hear the former almost exclusively, but I personally find it hard to say, as, in my mind, you do things "in a way", not "a way".


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the prepositions "in" and "under".  Suppose the context is John giving $1000 to Jane as part of some agreement:

  They signed an agreement in which John gave Jane $1000.
  They signed an agreement under which John gave Jane $1000.

Both versions using "in" and "under" are likely standard English found in newspaper articles, and in general probably loosely mean the same thing to most people.  But is there any minor differences in meaning between "in" and "under"?


texts:
"There's something about this business that he is doing."
I am confused about the meaning of that sentence;
The sentence is saying "there is something about this business" until here everything is ok, but If I want to say "he is doing this business", I mean let's say he is a barber and I want to say "there is something wrong about his barber's business."
But,
There is an another meaning comes out about the sentence, "He is doing something about this business" I mean for now I am not talking about his job or else.
I don't know which meaning I should make?
I am not sure whether I could explain it well, I hope I could.
Thanks.


texts:
Yesterday, I came out early of my home in search of my car's lost keys.
  Yesterday, I came out early of my home in searching of my car's lost keys.

First, are both these sentences correct? Second, how could you chose whether to use gerund (searching) after preposition or noun (search)?


texts:
It is fine to end a sentence with a comparative adjective?
For example: It's better. It's faster. She's nicer. Or it's necessary to the sentence with a full comparison such as: It's better than it. This is faster than the second. She's nicer than her sister.


texts: "My friend gave it to me" vs. "I got it 'off'/'from' my friend"

texts:
Could one replace, whitout changing in meaning, "my friend gave it to me" with "I got it off my friend"?

Searching on Internet I came across several instances of "I got it off my chest", but, alas, I found practically no notable hits for "got it off [my](a person)".

Does this mean that "I got it off my chest" is idiomatic English, so we cannot extend "got it off" to person cases? What does it happen if one uses "from" rather than "off" in "I got it off my friend"?


texts:
What's more correct form?

  responsible for

  responsible of

For example:

  The Central nervous system is responsible for the receiving
  signals from the Peripheral nervous system.

  The Central nervous system is responsible of the receiving signals
  from the Peripheral nervous system.


texts:
Suppose the context is a guy going to a store to buy something:

  He made a run to the store.
  He took a run to the store.
  He made a walk to the store.
  He took a walk to the store.

"Take a walk" is definitely standard English.  But, is there anything wrong with the "take a run", "make a run", and "make a walk" patterns?


texts: Using of construction "It to be not until ...that ..."

texts:
Is this construction used correctly?

  It was not until his becoming the manager that he got married.


texts: Meaning of "where every mask cracks, that is the hardest illusion of all"

texts:
Source

  His mental resilience, moreover, has both drawn from and supplemented the physical to a point where he now appears invulnerable. In professional sport, where every mask cracks, that is the hardest illusion of all.

What is meant by the bold part?


texts: Backshifting in reported speech - "I wanted to let you know that he HAS/HAD sent you the letter"

texts:
Grammar rules say that when converting a sentence from direct speech to indirect, the reported speech is converted to past tense if the first part of the sentence (reporting verb) is in the past tense.

Direct speech: John said, “I will give you a pen”.
Indirect Speech: John said that he would give me a pen.
S1: I wanted to let you know that he has sent you an email
S2: I wanted to let you know that he had sent you an email

I have seen people write S1 even though it doesn't follow the grammar rule regarding change of tense in the reported speech.
Which of these ones correct and incorrect? Why correct and why wrong?


texts: meaning of ''took to'' and ''up far above''

texts:
This sentence is from Withering Heights.

  Mr.Earnshaw took to Heathcliff strangely, petting him up far above Cathy.

I want to know the meaning of "took to" and "up far above" in above  sentence.


texts: How to dissect/parse 'enumeration ... does not presuppose something not enumerated'?

texts:
Source: United States v. Lopez, 1995, US Supreme Court, majority opinion by Rehnquist

The Court reasoned that if Congress could regulate something so far removed from commerce, then it could regulate anything, and since the Constitution clearly creates Congress as a body with enumerated powers, this could not be so. Rehnquist concluded:
To uphold the Government's contentions here, we have to pile inference upon inference in a manner that would bid fair to convert congressional authority under the Commerce Clause to a general police power of the sort retained by the States. Admittedly, some of our prior cases have taken long steps down that road, giving great deference to congressional action. The broad language in these opinions has suggested the possibility of additional expansion, but we decline here to proceed any further. [1.] To do so would require us to conclude that the Constitution's enumeration of powers does not presuppose something not enumerated, and that there never will be a distinction between what is truly national and what is truly local. This we are unwilling to do.

Sequences of negative words still hamstring me, so please explain and show all steps and thought processes. Do all negative words in the bolded phrase lie within each other's scope? I cancelled the two negatives, but then the rewrite appears trivially true which implies a mistake somewhere:
[2.] ... the Constitution's enumeration ... does not presuppose something not enumerated
If any document enumerates X, then the ability of X to be enumerated, must have been presupposed! The majority's rejection of 1 implies that 2 (a logically, albeit trivially, true statement) differs from 1.


texts: Isn't the phrase "content writing" weird? Why do we have the word "content" here? Isn't it obvious when we say "writing"?


texts: "assignment" or "mission"? The job that a person does for their company in another city

texts:
What is the word used for referring to the job that a person does for their company in another place, city, etc. during a specific period of time?

Do we use "assignment" or "mission"? or another word?


texts: How do I say “(preposition) (interrogative pronoun)?” in a full sentence?

texts:
We can ask a short question to clarify a statement, which is in the form of an interrogative pronoun possibly following a preposition. I'm trying to figure out the generally applicable rule for rewording such questions into full sentences.

Among the possible constructions below, some work, and some don't. Could you please tell me what do work and what don't, with the why's?

  “He did it.”

  Ⅰ-Ⅰ “For what?”

  ― Ⅰ-Ⅱ “He did it for what?”

  ― Ⅰ-Ⅲ “Did he do it for what?”

  ― Ⅰ-Ⅳ “What he did it for?”

  ― Ⅰ-Ⅴ “What did he do it for?”

  ― Ⅰ-Ⅵ “For what he did it?”

  ― Ⅰ-Ⅶ “For what did he do it?”

  “You pick up the box.”

  Ⅱ-Ⅰ “Of whom?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅱ “I pick up the box of whom?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅲ “Do I pick up the box of whom?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅳ “Whom I pick up the box of?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅴ “Whom do I pick up the box of?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅵ “Of whom I pick up the box?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅶ “Of whom do I pick up the box?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅷ “You want me to pick up the box of whom?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅸ “Do you want me to pick up the box of whom?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅹ “Whom you want me to pick up the box of?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅺ “Whom do you want me to pick up the box of?”

  ― Ⅱ-Ⅻ “Of whom you want me to pick up the box?”

  ― Ⅱ-XIII “Of whom do you want me to pick up the box?”

  “This'll stabilize the value.”

  Ⅲ-Ⅰ “Of what?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅱ “This'll stabilize the value of what?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅲ “Will this stabilize the value of what?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅳ “What this'll stabilize the value of?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅴ “What will this stabilize the value of?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅵ “Of what this'll stabilize the value?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅶ “Of what will this stabilize the value?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅷ “You mean the value of what?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅸ “Do you mean the value of what?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅹ “What you mean the value of?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅺ “What do you mean the value of?”

  ― Ⅲ-Ⅻ “Of what you mean the value?”

  ― Ⅲ-XIII “Of what do you mean the value?”

  ― Ⅲ-XIV “You mean by the value of what?”

  ― Ⅲ-XV “Do you mean by the value of what?”

  ― Ⅲ-XVI “What you mean by the value of?”

  ― Ⅲ-XVII “What do you mean by the value of?”

  ― Ⅲ-XVIII “Of what you mean by the value?”

  ― Ⅲ-XIX “Of what do you mean by the value?”


texts: Equivalent of above and below for the words right and left

texts:
I am writing some computer code and I want to find the equivalent of the words above and below for the right and left, so I want a precise word rather than a whole sentence / expression. Something people would write if they use the telegraph.

I.e. "InserNodeAbove" sounds correct to me but "InserNodeRight" does not sound very nice to me. Would "rightwise" be the equivalent?


texts: A word for ''Try to solve some difficult problem once more''

texts:
Is there in english a word connotating the idea ''try to tackle a difficult problem once more''? The word I want has meaning more than simply ''try again''.

Much appreciated!


texts: A meeting of an administrative body far from its usual meeting place (headquarters etc.)

texts:
Native Russian translators have trouble translating one stock phrase which means "a meeting of an administrative body (Parliament, State Council, etc.) conducted not at the body's usual location".

Say, some Council members travel to the Orenburg Region and the President travels to the same location, and there they hold a meeting. The Russian journalistic stock phrase for this is "выездное заседание".

Vyezdnoe is an adjective derived from the verb "vyezshat" = "to depart from somewhere". Zasedanie is meeting. Here's how it is translated on the Russian Presidential website:

  Vladimir Putin chaired a visiting meeting of the State Council's presidium

Yet on another page a similar meeting is translated thus:

  The NATO-Russia Council’s permanent representatives will hold an away meeting on July 4

Both translations do not seem very idiomatic to me, but I'm not a native speaker of English. How would a native speaker describe such a meeting?

There is an old discussion of the phrase on a translators' forum.

I was translating a news report today and picked one option mentioned in that thread, "out-of-headquarters session". When a news mentions a particular factory, say, one clearly can choose "on-site meeting", but in my short report, there was no mention of the place of meeting at all. This is sometimes a key hurdle when translating "выездное заседание".

Maybe it is prudent in some cases just to drop the phrase, since it is clear that the State Council is not based in the Orenburg Region and that NATO representatives do not usually conduct their meetings in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi - this is not their standard meeting place. But when there is no mention of the meeting place, and the phrase is used merely to indicate that the President and some Parliament members met not in the "default" meeting place, it is not so easy.

P.S. An expression occured to me: "a meeting in departure" - like "a trial in absentia". I know that there is no such expression in English but if it existed it would have been somewhat similar to the Russian original.


texts: .....went to the village (to help/for helping?) the farmers

texts:
Last summer the student went to the village ______ the farmers.

A) to help
B) for helping

Although both of the above options sound correct which one is a better choice to use here ? Or they both are equally good and don't make any difference ?


texts: What does "If I had anything to do with it" mean here?

texts:
I am wondering what "If I had
anything to do with it" means in the following sentences:

‘Er – no,’ Hannah says. And then, quickly, ‘But as I say, we’re so out
of the loop we wouldn’t know anywhere, even if it’s the place to go.’
She’s kind, Hannah. That is one of the things I know about her. It
sort of . . . spills out of her. I remember meeting Hannah for the
first time and thinking: oh, that’s who Charlie wants. Someone nice.
Someone soft, and warm. I’m too much for him. I’m too angry, too
driven. He would never have picked me.
I’m not envious of Hannah any more, I remind myself. Charlie might
once have been the sailing club hottie but he’s softened now, a paunch
where that flat brown stomach used to be. And he’s settled in his
career, too. If I had anything to do with it he’d be gunning for a
deputy head position. There’s nothing less sexy than a lack of
ambition, is there?

Lucy Foley, The Guest List, Chapter 14

This is a thriller novel published in 2020 in the United Kingdom. One hundred and fifty guests would be gathering at some remote and deserted fictional islet called Inis an Amplóra off the coast of the island of Ireland to celebrate the wedding between Jules (a self-made woman running an online magazine called The Download) and Will (a celebrity appearing in a TV show program called Survive the Night). The day before the actual wedding day, during the rehearsal dinner, Jules sees Hannah, who is Charlie's wife. Jules once had a crush on Charlie when she was sixteen, and was secretly envious of Hannah for having married to Charlie, who once worked as a sailing instructor and is now working as a geography teacher for fifteen-year-old students. (The narrator here is Jules.)
In this part, I am wondering what "If I had
anything to do with it" means here.
Would it perhaps mean that "If I [Jules] were in the position of being able to control/affect Charlie's career"...? (This is just my wild guess.)
In short, I am wondering what "it" indicates, and what "have anything to do with" means in this context.


texts: Meaning of "using glargine plus more than/or other than rapid-acting insulin type" in a medical article

texts:
From a medical article:

  Insulin regimen was categorized as 1) basal-bolus using the insulin pump, 2) basal-bolus with glargine plus rapid-acting insulin, 3) multiple daily injections (MDI) with ≥3 injections/day, using glargine plus more than/or other than rapid-acting insulin type, 4) MDI with ≥3 injections/day, using any insulin types excluding basal insulin, or 5) 1 to 2 injections/day, excluding glargine [6].

A translator on a translators' forum asked about this phrase, and I could not make heads or tails of it.

It is at all comprehensible to a native speaker?

I know that diabetics often use one or two shots of long-acting (basal) insulin a day. Glargine requires a single shot a day. On top of that, you inject some short-acting insulin as needed, after meals.

Still I cannot understand this particular tangle of than\or\other than.


texts: Why does the author use "would ask" instead of "asked" in this passage?

texts:
I stumbled upon this paragraph.

  ... the phone felt sticky with sweat against her ear. Her hand seemed glued to the receiver. There were papers spread out on the floor in front of her because she often noted down beforehand what she would say, and sometimes her notes seemed to shrink and disappear, as if absorbed by the paper, as if the paper were swaowing up au the fine phrases, the beautiful thoughts of Anna. Outside the sun had set, the traffic was increasing, cars were sounding their horns. " Are we going to meet? " she finally would ask. He murmured something, hurriedly, a vague promise that hovered in the air from one phone ca to the next. They would arrange a call for the foowing day. She was madly in love with him. She had to earn his trust. He wasn't the sort to risk his peace of mind for an acquaintance made over the phone. She had fallen for him as soon as she saw him. Then she had seen him twice more, waited outside his office and foowed...

Why did the author use "she finally would ask"? What would be changed if I rephrase it as "she finally asked"?


texts: Is there another verb for "stitch someone up"? What is the American alternative for this verb?

texts:
Stitch someone up as in he is gonna stitch her up for the murder.

Here is an entry from the Cambridge Dictionary:

  stitch sb up
  UK slang
  — phrasal verb with stitch uk  /stɪtʃ/ us  /stɪtʃ/ verb

  to deliberately make someone look guilty of doing something that they did not do:
  He claims he was stitched up by the police.

Is there any verb that can be used in this context? Since this phrasal verb is only used in the UK, what is its American counterpart?


texts: How do I say that I'm in the process of movement and am going to do something?

texts:
First, I would like to apologize if my question has been answered somewhere, but I'm overwhelmed with the search results repeatedly telling me about the using of be going to do to express the future.

My question is how to tell that I'm moving right now in order to do something, e.g. to open the door. Specifically, can I use the word go or some of its forms for that purpose?

My first thought was to say I'm going to open the door. However, I have been taught the construction to be going to do something means to do something in near future.

What if I say I'm going to the door to open it? Is it still about the future? (=I'm going to go to the door to open it?)

Thank you for all your help.

UPD: Link to the picture


texts: Do commas go after a word or before the next word?

texts:
If I write 2-3 examples:

  maggi, soup, bread

or

  maggi ,soup, bread.

Should commas be placed after the word or before the next word?


texts: Can you put please here? "Can you help please with a minimalistic script"

texts: Please is an adverb that acts as an adjunct. Can you put it here? "Can you help please with a minimalistic script"


texts:
What would a native English speaker say when he's making a promise to meet at today's noon?

For example:

  I'm going to meet you this noon.

Does the sentence above sound weird to a native English speaker? What would be the best and most polite way to rephrase this in a native English speaker environment?


texts: What is the difference between 'despite that' and 'despite the fact that'?

texts:
There are two sentences like this:

I love him despite that he is small.
I love him despite the fact that he is small.

What is the difference between the two sentences in meaning?


texts: What does the word "contain" mean in this context?

texts:
Finally, the most important advice he offers to contain costs, is to
  apply the delete key to the requirements list.

I guess it's like reduce. Is that correct?

The whole paragraph is:

  Finally, the most important advice he offers to contain costs, is to
  apply the delete key to the requirements list. Whittle it away, he
  says, until you end up with a Minimum Viable Product: one that has
  enough functionality to be appealing to users, but without throwing in
  the kitchen sink in version one. If the app proves popular, the
  features you deleted can be added in to later versions.

Quoted from http://9to5mac.com/2015/01/19/how-much-ios-developers-earn/


texts: Grammatical correctness of the given sentence

texts:
Refer to the following sentence from a research article.

  This significantly increased complexity in muscle recruitment strategy beyond the activation as pure ankle plantar/dorsiflexors, suggests that in healthy children co-contractions are likely functional to further physiological tasks as balance improvement and control of joint stability.

The first part "This significantly ....dorsiflexors, seems to make sense. But the remaining part seems odd. Is there any grammatical mistake with the sentence? May I know the rules it implies/breaks?


texts: Should the comma be inside or outside of the quotation marks?

texts:
Say I have a sentence like

The discovery of the "exoplanet", a type of planet that resides outside of our solar system, shocked the researchers.

Should the comma be outside of the quotation marks because the comma has to help form the appositive "a type of planet that resides outside of our solar system?


texts:
What is difference between these two examples below, and why?

  Alex isn't here. She is visiting her mother.
  Alex isn't here. She has gone to visit her mother.


texts:
What's the meaning of "I know you are but what am I?"?
The Wiktionary page gives a definition that kind of confused me:

Assertion that an insult made by the party to whom the phrase is
directed is actually true of that party, and not of the person using
the phrase.

If I follow the definition correctly, this phrase means "The accusations that I am making are absolutely true about you and not true about me".
I stumbled upon this phrase in todays' ABCNEWS article on Yahoo! that reports on how Russian President Putin responded to Biden's calling him a killer.
Putin used a phrase that is common among children in Russia:

Кто так обзывается, сам так называется

which literally means "The one who calls me that thing is, in fact, that very thing"
And the meaning is "You are accusing me of something, but aren't you yourself doing that?"
Right after saying that phrase, Putin explained: "When we start passing judgments on any nation on earth, we must keep in mind that we are looking in the mirror as in any nation we can find reflection of ourselves"
So, if my understanding of the definition given in Wiktionary is correct, then it looks like Putin's phrase was mistranslated in the article.


texts:
"normally" sometimes mean "in normal situations". Other times in mean "in a normal manner". How not to make confusion between the to senses?

Example:

  In that case, doing A would normally refine one's situation.

Here by "normally" I mean "in normal situations". But in the above sentence "normally" can also mean "in a normal manner". How to remove such confusion?


texts: What is the form and function of the cardinal number “three” in the NP “day three”? I know cardinal numbers are determiners or fused heads. I looked at Pullum and Huddleston and couldn’t find an answer.


texts:
I am building a survey and asking the participants:

How often do you think about your online security?

The answers are:

At least once every day
At least once every week (and less than once every day)
At least once every month (and less than every week)
At least once every 6 months (and less than every month)
Once a year
I do not think about it at all
Other (specify)

My questions are:

Is "once a day" equivalent to "once every day"?
Is the clarifications between circle brackets necessary? For example, in

At least once every week (and less than once every day)

The reason for me to add the sentence in the circle brackets is because since I mention "at least" once every week, this mean one or more times every week, which can be equal to once or more every day (so I want to be precise it is less than once every day). Does this make sense? Or otherwise, it can be removed? Because if the word "at least once every week" means the thing (the thinking in our question) occurs per week, then I think the between brackets clarification is not correct. Because the occurrence is not distributed among the week days, but happens once or more at one day every week?
EDIT:
Also, do you see anything vague or incorrect in modifying the scale to:

Every day
Every week
Every month
Every 6 months
Once a year
I do not think about it at all
Other (specify)

Because it was like this before, but someone asked me, how many times a week?


texts:
I have read in http://www.grammaring.com/the-forms-of-the-gerund about perfect gerunds. There are two kind of usage in the website,one about "being" and other about  "having". The website describes about them as follows:

  The perfect gerund refers to a time before that of the verb in the main clause . However, it is only used if the time of the action expressed by the gerund is not obvious from the context:
  He denied being married. (the simple gerund being refers to the same time as
  denied: He denied that he was married.)

  He denied having been married. (the perfect gerund having been refers to a time before
  denied: He denied that he had been married.)

My question: What's the difference in the meaning between these two sentences? I don't quite understand the definition of this website.


texts: Where should the word “probably” be placed

texts:
Consider the following sentences:

  I'll move to the south by then probably.
  I'll probably move to the south by then.
  I'll move to the south probably by then.

Which of the three is correct. In my opinion, the third one is wrong. First two are correct with a small difference in their meaning.

First one makes my probability refer to the time when I'll be moving and the second one tells that there is still a chance that I might not move.

Am I correct?


texts:
I have gone through few documents in Google for Present perfect continuous tense and came to know below things.

The present perfect progressive tense has two uses. It is used for:

(1) a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or (2) a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently).

It might seem a little unusual that an activity which started in the past and finished in the past can be categorized as present tense, but this is because it normally has a relevance to the present.

I understood the first two points but the one in bold font, for which i need example, with clear explanation.

i appreciate your response.


texts:
The number of adults doing weekly sport did rise by nearly 2 million in the run-up to 2012—but the general population was growing faster.

I consulted the dictionary but could not find a suitable meaning. Is "in the run" a phrase? In particular, what does "run" mean here?


texts: Lead in & Lead to, what's the difference?

texts:
So, as the title says, what's the difference between "lead in" and "lead to", as can be seen in this example taken from the novel The Name of The Rose:

  "Thus it happened that we turned westward... almost following the line of mountains that from Pisa leads in the direction of the pilgrim's way to Santiago..."

Thank you for the help.


texts: When to use "such" before a noun and when to use "such a/an"?

texts:
Should you put an “a” here in the blank after such?

  Alpha is supposed to warrant the connection between Beta and Gamma. But ____ connection seems to be already warranted.

Which one is correct instead of ____, such or such a?


texts: 'the body politic' vs "the politic body"

texts:
According hereto, politic (with NO s) is an adjective or verb, and not a noun. So shouldn't the body politic be "the politic body" instead? Are both legitimate? If so, what are the similarities and differences?

Source: p 186, The Legal Analyst, Ward Farnsworth

  We have been speaking of three usual parties to these situations:
  the author of the rule, the enforcer of it, and the party to whom
  it applies. But there may be a fourth party consisting of the body politic;
  members of the public may take an interest in the law not because they
  are concerned about how it applies to them personally but because they
  are wondering if the law ought to be reformed.


texts:
I'm just wondering if "planify" is a real and commonly used word. For example, is it okay to say:

  We need to planify this weekend.

instead of

  We need a plan for this weekend.

To me as a native Spanish speaker it "sounds" good, but it may not be the case for a native English speaker.


texts: "Descending it" or "descending from it"?

texts:
Example:

  This explains my terror of losing him back at the cliff, and why I
  risked my life descending (from) it.

Do I need to add from? Why and why not?


texts:
I'm walking out of a bar and I'm putting my hand in my pocket, and I can't find my wallet.

So it's better to say "I have forgotten my wallet" or "I forgot my wallet" ?


texts: What is the meaning of "Some days are two sizes too small"?

texts:
Sanderson is waiting for Paul to began the meeting, so Paul arrived & Sanderson welcoming him.

  Sanderson: There he is. Paul, come in.

  Paul: Sorry. There were unexpected developments. I had to go home and
  start the day again.

  Sanderson: Tell me about it. Some days are two sizes too small.

I didn't understand What Sanderson said to Paul about Days?


texts: In American English, "was passed" or "was overtaken"?

texts:
As far as I know, it is common in American English to say "to pass him" instead of "to overtake him".

However, is it common for a sports commentator in the USA to say

  "Тhe runner was overtaken at the very end of the race"

or would

  "Тhe runner was passed at the very end of the race"

be still more common?


texts:
Take a look at this sentence here:

He'd just been born with that harelip.

I am confused. "He had been" is past perfect continuous but for that born it should've been present participle. Is it then passive voice for past perfect tense? If yes then how because the subject "he" is still the subject.


texts:
I was listening to NPR where Michele Krebs the executive analyst of autotrader came on to be interviewed on "How the auto industry is reacting to the tentative US-Mexico trade deal". The program was about tariffs that will bring about rise in vehicle prices.

SHAPIRO: Given the unpredictability and uncertainty of all of this, is that affecting the auto industry's plans given that they have to set things in motion years in advance?

KREBS: Right. If you think about it, this is a very long-lead business. What's being planned right now is from four years out. So it's created a lot of paralysis. I'm guessing, in the war rooms of all the auto companies, there's all kinds of scenario-playing going on. You know - what if this happens? We'll do this. But it sure would help to have all of the pieces of this trade puzzle in place so automakers could make solid decisions for the future.

Does the phrase in bold mean since 4 years ago or 4 years from now?
Is this informal or idiomatic?
Can "out" be used to talk about the future?
I've heard "out" a few times before in talking about time, but never sure if it's about the past or the future. What clues would help me?
What if she had used was instead of is? What would have that meant?
Can you give a couple more examples with this phrase?


texts: "they were lost" meaning in this context

texts:
"We're going to have to try and tackle him," he whispered to Ron. They had no choice: the moment anyone entered the room and saw the absence of three prisoners, they were lost. "Leave the lights on," Harry added, ...

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

What does "they were lost" mean in this context? Is it they were dead or something? It doesn't seem to make much sense.


texts: there is/ are loads of things you can buy

texts:
According to this website, a lot of, lots of, a load of and loads of take a singular verb if they refer to an amount of something uncountable and a plural verb if they are followed by a plural countable noun. However, I came across a sentence in an informal dialogue that breaks the rules:

  There's loads of things you can buy.

It's obvious that things is countable and in plural form. Why is it there's instead of there are?


texts: How do people normally pronounce the "l" in "welcome"?

texts:
I wonder how the dark L in this word is pronounced. I thought when pronouncing a dark L, I should put the tongue tip on the alveolar ridge behind the teeth, but in Rachel's English video she says she doesn’t usually bring the tongue tip up to make the "L" in this word and you don’t need it if you’re making the dark sound. So how do native speakers pronounce the "l" in the word "welcome" or "health"?

Any help would be appreciated.

Here is the link:
https://rachelsenglish.com/pronounce-youre-welcome/


texts: Which is grammatically correct? "My test is the next day" or "My test is on next day"?

texts:
I want to know that whether both the sentence are same or one is wrong?
"My test is the next day" or "My test is on next day"?
I know perhaps it is a very basic question but still I want to know so please answer.


texts: How to express "Please don't hold or keep the milk or water in your mouth, swallow it"?

texts:
Sometimes, my little child takes a sip of water or milk & then he keeps or holds the sip in his mouth without swallowing it.

Is it idiomatic to say "Please don't hold or keep the milk or water in your mouth, swallow it"?


texts: Is "scrambled home" a common usage for winning a nearly losing game?

texts:
I saw this post describing words and idioms used to describe a situation where the losing party is able to turn the losing situation into a winning one.
Also, I came across the phrase "scrambled home" but I was only able to find one and only one definition for such a phrase from the online Macmillan Dictionary. I couldn't find any other online resources/dictionaries that have recorded such entry.
Is the use of "scrambled home" understandable to native speakers or it is outdated/uncommon?


texts: "Someone has a relationshio with someone" or "someone is having a relationship with someone"?

texts:
Do I have to use have in the present simple or present continuous when talking about being in a relationship. For example:

  Kate has a relationship with the guy.

  Kate is having a ralationship with the guy.

I thought that the use of have in the present continuous in this context is totally incorrect, but the teacher in this video uses it in the progressive. It is at 4 minutes and 3 seconds. Is that some kind of new American grammar?


texts: How to understand "Don't you go feeling guilty!" in this context

texts:
Over the next few days Harry could not help noticing that there was one person within number twelve, Grimmauld Place, who did not seem wholly overjoyed that he would be returning to Hogwarts. Sirius had put up a very good show of happiness on first hearing the news, wringing Harry's hand and beaming just like the rest of them. Soon, however, he was moodier and surlier than before, talking less to everybody, even Harry, and spending increasing amounts of time shut up in his mother's room with Buckbeak.

  "Don't you go feeling guilty!" said Hermione sternly, after Harry had confided some of his feelings to her and Ron while they scrubbed out a mouldy cupboard on the third floor a few days later. "You belong at Hogwarts and Sirius knows it. Personally, I think he's being selfish."

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

I think "Don't you go feeling guilty!" here is an imperative sentence. But I would expect an imperative sentence go something like: "Don't go feeling guilty, you!". The structure of "Don't you go feeling guilty!" is more like a rhetorical question. Is it a normal form of an imperative sentence? How should we understand it correctly in this context?


texts:
Given the sentence:

  I gave Tom a cup.

I can say, that

I is the subject.

But what is object here:

"Tom" or "a cup"

?


texts:
Consider the following sentences:

  It is a recursive function. It is initially  called on the root node of the DOM tree (body element).

To combine them I thought to say

  It is a recursive function and is initially  called on the root node of the DOM tree (body element).

To refine it I thought to say:

  It is a recursive function which is initially  called on the root node of the DOM tree (body element).

But I doubt the last sentence is grammatical.
Can "which" be used to relate such sentences? Because it doesn't distinguish something from other similar things. It is just one function.

Other examples:

  He is a boy. He goes to school every day.

Can I say :

  He is a boy who goes to school every day!


texts: "all the time" or "during the time" which is correct or better as an antonym of "until"?

texts:
Don't open the cover until the light goes out.

I am trying to rewrite the above sentence I created without using "until". My examples are as follows:

  Don't open the cover all the time (that) the light illuminates.
  Don't open the cover during the time (that) the light illuminates.

Which sentence is correct or better? As far as I searched, it seems they differ a little and "all the time" sounds unnatural to my case.  "While" may be most appropriate, but I want to avoid using "while" for some reasons.


texts:
So basically I am trying to brush up my English with complex sentences and I got this one on internet so is it correct statement??I mean did and tomorrow used in same sentence....

  If sun didn't come up tomorrow, we wouldn't have any life on earth


texts: Tap, faucet, spigot - what are the differences?

texts:
What are the differences between tap, faucet and spigot?

Are they regional variants?

(ngram isn't particularly helpful in determining that, due to other, more popular meanings of 'tap').


texts: Difference in meaning between words in a context

texts:
1) It triggered a process that we are now trying to end.
2) It started off a process that we are now trying to end.
3) It toggled a process that we are now trying to end.
4) It activated a process that we are now trying to end.
5) It started a process that we are now trying to end.

Which are correct and what is the difference between them?


texts:
Can someone explain to me the difference between the use of "in hindsight" and "with hindsight"?

For example, with (the benefit/wisdom of) hindsight, I should have taken the job. In hindsight, it would have been better to wait.

(Hindsight definition: the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened)


texts:
I have my own problem, may be others too. I'm confused with the usage of 'Could'.
I have the following problems.

Conditional sentences:

  Well, I could go with you if you really wanted me to.(I have seen this word written.)

Can't we write it following way:

  Well, I could go with you if you really want me to.

and if we can or can't, What are differences between the two?

Another example:

  You could take the ferry if you wanted to, if that seemed like a good idea to you.(I have seen this word written)

Can't we write it as:

  You could take the ferry if you want to, if that seems like a good idea to you.

Another example

Can we use 'Could' following way to speak about present continuous:

  John could be the one who is stealing the money.

I have confusion about if writer is speaking about past or present or future.
It would be nice if someone can/could explain this to me with a few examples.


texts: Meaning of "graced their sight with its presence"

texts:
What is the meaning of "graced their sight with its presence" in below sentence?
One night when they stood at their respective balconies looking skyward at the starry night, a shooting star graced their sight with its presence.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIhQCow8CIo
Start at 3:27


texts:
They went to jogging this morning.
They went jogging this morning.

Should I remove "to" in this sentence,If yes than why.


texts: Sometimes I am confused in the correct way of using me or to me. Example, answer me or answer to me; love me or love to me. Could you help me to differentiate each one?


texts: (The men/Men) usually drive fast in this country

texts:
The men/Men usually drive fast in this country

Which one should I use and please explain.
I am more inclined to "Men" but a native speaker told me to use "The men".


texts: meaning of the phrase "at all" in non-negative sentences?

texts:
I have come across this use of the phrase in this video. Here is the piece:

  So if you have been studying English pronunciation at all, I am sure
  you have heard about this schwa sound.

As the Cambridge Dictionary puts it, the phrase is used in negatives for emphasis. The root of my confusion is that the sentence is not neative. Could you give a similar phrase that would have the same meaning in the sentence.


texts: Sense of the second "were" in this line of When I Survey

texts:
I was listening to this the other day and was wondering if this was grammatically correct.

  Were the whole realm of nature mine...

I'm OK with this one; the realm isn't mine and likely never will be;

  that were an offering far too small

Why is were used here?  To me it feels that would be would be more correct, although not as good a fit to the metre.


texts:
Meaning of hit in the following sentence

  The record for the number of sixes in a Test was smashed in on Sunday when South Africa's Dane Piedt hit India's Ravindra Jadeja over midwicket in the clash at Visakhapatnam.

Here does hit mean to affect someone? But that seem idiomatic


texts:
So me and my friend are having this conversation about some product. He says it's great. I haven't tried it yet but I superficially disagree with him. Now that I have tried it, the conversation comes up again and he restates his opinion about the product and I respond with something like this.

"I agree with you about what you are saying about that product, now that I have tried it out myself".

Is agreeing with you ABOUT the correct usage of the word? Is the whole sentence grammatically correct?


texts: Is the use of the serial comma to set off independent clauses always incorrect?

texts:
"In most of the cases they have no idea of what they are doing, they don't know what to teach at each level, they don't know what is hard or easy, and they don't even know the grammar structures necessary to learn a language."

Are commas used correctly in the above sentence? I've learned that independent clauses should be separated by semicolons, not commas. But I'm not sure if it's equally correct to use the serial comma to set off independent clauses in some cases, as in the original example sentence above.


texts:
Suppose there is a tree and its some leaf has fallen on the land, so I would say as participle "the fallen leaf", but a person who is sitting on the chair why we say "sitting person" stead of "seated person"?

Please explain to me deeply.


texts: What is the difference between deem and consider?

texts:
According to Cambridge Dictionary, deem is defined as a way to "to consider or judge something in a particular way". However, I'm not sure if there is any subtle difference in meaning or connotation of deem and consider.

Another question, is there any difference if I use either one of these phrases or the latter is simply more concise?

  is considered/deemed to be adj

  is considered/deemed adj


texts: What is the difference between terracotta and earthenware?

texts:
My understanding is that terracotta is clay made into a figure then baked, such as the Terracotta Warriors of China. But earthenware and pottery both refer to baked clay, so how are these different? And does the following mean the same?

  Terracotta pot

  Earthenware pot


texts: If someone says something to us, we don't reply in words rather we nod our head and in heart we say the words we could utter, such as Mr. X says to me "Good morning' but I don't reply saying "Good morning" rather, I just nod my head as if I am saying good morning in return__ in my heart there were words (good morning)... do we say, 'I said good morning to him in my heart'? or is there any other verb for this (for saying something in heart)?


texts:
Below is a quote from the book I explained in one of my recent postings on this StackExchange website.

George Bush's victory in the 2000 presidential election was an
extremely narrow one, with a controversy over who won Florida's
electoral votes, among others.

Who or what do you read the "among others" refers to in this context?


texts:
Is "he learn French too" grammatical? Should it be "he learns French too"?

And not only does he learn English, he learn French too.

Source: English sentence making practice by me.


texts: How do I know which verb form suits the sentence?

texts:
For example: How long will you have been studying** when you graduate?**

Will you have been studying - future perfect continuous

graduate - simple present.

The same sentence contains two different verb forms. I thought the same verb tense was carried throughout the sentence.


texts:
We had better get out of here before they see us.

Is "had" absolutely necessary here? Will the sentence be correct without "had":

We better get out of here before they see us.


texts: Why is there not an article before "top" in the phrase - "The duck is on top."

texts:
I read in a children's book, Bliff’s fun phonics:

  "The duck is on top."

"Top" is supposed to be countable.

Why is there not an article before "top" in the phrase?


texts: What's the difference between 'hold' and 'detain'?

texts:
Is there any difference between 'hold' and 'detain' in terms of time "length" of detention/holding, or any other differences concerning the legal side of the two words.

The following sentence is just an example:

No explanation was given as to why the man was detained or the conditions under which he was held.

Thank you.


texts:
On seeing that the robber was walking at his direction slowly, he turned around, and ran for his dear life.

  Seeing that the robber was walking at his direction slowly, he turned around, and ran for his dear life.

Are both the above sentences grammatically correct?
Do they mean the same thing?
Are they just choices of sentences you use?

  He got up his seat, and walked towards her, seeing that she had arrived.

  He got up his seat, and walked towards her on seeing that she had arrived.

  He got up his seat, and walked towards her, on seeing that she had arrived.

Are all the above sentences grammatically correct?
Do they mean the same thing?
Are they just choices of sentences you use?


texts: What does the idiom "think nothing of" mean?

texts:
I have seen (in an online conversation) the idiom think nothing of <something> for the first time. (The context was more-or-less something like this: "I am surprised that intelligent people, who think nothing of calculating complicated integrals, cannot master basics of English grammar." This is just a paraphrase, you can replace integrals with any ability which is considered complicated and English grammar with anything considered relatively easy.)

I have seen the phrase think nothing of it in Wiktionary, when it is used as form of saying thank you. But this seems to be a different idiom.

When I searched for "who think nothing of", most occurrences I see could be understood as "who do not mind doing something". Although the first pages of search results are with negative connotations.


texts: Can "tetrahedral" be used for a phenomenon with four aspects?

texts:
Many dictionaries define tetrahedron and tetrahedral in connection with the geometrical shape. Can I use tetrahedral as an adjective for a phenomenon that has four aspects? e.g.

  The tetrahedral inductive framework of emotional intelligence


texts:
I'm unable to extract out the clear meaning of the following sentence:

"Do you have any money on you?"

I would like an elaboration on the overall meaning of the sentence in regard to use of preposition on before you.


texts:
Low rainfall isn´t depended on heat.
  Low rainfall isn´t dependent on heat.
  Low rainfall isn´t depending on heat.

P.S. This is from my exam. And there´re many doubts about the question. Personally I think that #1 and #2 (depended and dependent) are suitable. But I´m not sure.


texts: Change of tense in subordinate clause in reported speech when principle clause is in future tense

texts:
Joe: "I will clean my room when I get home"

Should I shift the tense in the subordinate clause in indirect speech?

Joe said he would clean his room when he gets home.

Also, does it make any difference if Joe has cleaned his room by the moment of speaking or whether he still has a plan to get home and clean it?


texts:
I would like to understand the role of using the with other.

For example,

  Each row of matrix A contains only three numbers. For example, the entries of the first row are the numbers from 1:3, while the entries of the second row are 4:6, and so on for the other rows.

Does the is correct here, or should be removed?