texts: "I study two hours daily" vs. "I study for two hours daily"

texts:
Which one is correct?

I study two hours daily.
I study for two hours daily.

Is the preposition "for" correct here or not, and why? If both sentences are correct, what is the difference in grammatical usage?


texts: What is the meaning of "gastric percolation" in the context?

texts:
I have checked all the definition entries for the words percolation and gastric, yet I can't totally understand what "gastric percolation" means in the following sentence:

  Of more urgent concern is the gastric percolation that I am experiencing [Reference].

Does it mean fullness of the stomach? That's the only meaningful interpretation that I can come up according to the dictionary entries.


texts: I accidentally sneezed and spat on someone. What to say while apologising?

texts:
What talking I laughed a bit and then accidentally sneezed and spat. Then I realised that the other person was brushing his jacket.

I realised all this after the conversation was over.
Then I said,

  I am sorry, I sneezed and it fell on you.

"My bad" will not be understood by most people where I live. He might also ask why are you saying that, then I have to reply something in proper English sentence.

What is the better and proper way to apologise for such situations?


texts: Could you replace the word "transaction" with a more a simple word but still the same meaning

texts:
When you apply for an original DL/ID card, you must present an acceptable birth date/legal presence document and provide your social security number (SSN). Depending on the birth date/legal presence document you present, your California DL/ID card may expire on the same date as your legal presence document. If the name on your birth date/legal presence document is different from the name on your DL/ID card application, you must also bring an acceptable true full name document. Your fingerprint, signature, and picture will also be taken (Refer to the "Application Requirements for a Basic Class C Driver License" section). For any other DL/ID card transaction, you must present photo

I even have my doubts if the choose of the word transaction in the text is a correct choise. Because it has to do with business, doesn't it?


texts: Name of obstetric device used to suck milk out of a mother's breast

texts:
I would like to know what the name of the obstetric device used to suck breast milk out of a mother's breast into a bottle so that it can later be administered to the infant at a later time when the mother is not present is called.

Thanks.


texts:
The closest I've come to V_ing ...

It's a relative construction for sure. But I wonder how to analyze it :

Is it

  The closest I've come ____ to V_ing ...

Or

  The closest I've come to ____ V_ing ...

Edit: Now I think that this is not a relative construction. The clause "I've come to V_ing.." act as a complement to "the closest(thing)", not as its relative clause. Somebody confirms this for me?


texts: "Is for every proverb there an opposite one?" Does that question sound natural?

texts:
I want to make a question from the proverb "For every proverb there is an opposite one". Here are some attempts and why they don't work:

"Is for every proverb there an opposite one?": the part "there an opposite one" feel unnatural to me

"Is there an opposite one for every proverb?": "one" comes before what it points to

"Is there an opposite proverb for every one?": the part "every one" can be mistaken with "everyone"

"Is there an opposite proverb for every proverb?": repetition

One can go around this and ask "Is it true that for every proverb there is an opposite one?", but then how do we ask the why question? "Why is for every proverb there an opposite one?"
Just for fun question: is there any proverb for unnatural yet grammatical sentences?


texts:
I admit. The articles are the most difficult things I find in this language but I'm learning and I'm better than before! I've been reading about the articles in several authentic books and have a question now.

  Does the adjective 'same' ALWAYS have the definite article 'the'?

In fact, looking at complexities of using the articles for zillions of nouns, I feel at least this word -same will make me sure using the article the if this is the case! So, next time on, I'll never make a mistake by not putting the before same.


texts:
What words do you usually use to refer to the different periods of your age? For instance, which words would work properly in the made-up example below?

Note: I have listed some words in age order, but please let me know if they sound odd or there are some better words or possibly fixed terms there.

Those were the days. I'll never forget...

  1- I passed all my infancy/childhood years in that house.
   2- I passed all my teen/adolescence years in that house.
   3- I passed all my youth years in that house.
   4- I passed all my adulthood years in that house.

Please let me know about it.

Thank you.


texts: What is the difference between these two phrases?

texts:
You did not try hard enough.
You have not been trying hard enough.

Are they correct both?
Which one would you use in your everyday life situation?


texts:
For decades, we’ve been unable to achieve localized production of materials, parts and equipment and the diversification of their import sources in some areas. However, just 100 days after relevant measures were taken, tangible and meaningful results are beginning to emerge.
  Source: Address by President Moon Jae-in at National Assembly

Could you please explain why the writer chose the present perfect instead of the simple past tense?

As far as I know, the perfect present is used when the result of the perfect present is related with the present. But I can’t see the relation between the perfect present and the present in this sentence.

And doesn’t the sentence sound like the state being unable to achieve the localization continues even in the present? When I read only the first sentence itself, I was not sure whether the action continuesor not. Of course, after reading the second sentence we realized this present perfect is used as the completion of the action, but still, only with the first sentence, how can I know it? I’m not sure how to use the present perfect to clearly show the described action is finished.

Please help me, and sorry for many questions.


texts:
Talking about a password for your computer, and confirming what it is.

Is password password?
Is the password password?

Which one is correct?


texts:
I came across a short conversation which is writen below:

  A: I like your luggage.
  B: It looks nice but it hasn't held up well.

What did the person B mean? and what the meaning of held up well is here?


texts:
I need to ask you a question. = (less commonly) I need to ask a question of you.
  (Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s, ask #1)

  You cannot say ‘ask to somebody’: *I asked to my friend what had happened.
  (OALD, ask #1)

When you ask questions, ‘ask to somebody’ cannot be used, says OALD. What about the next example? It’s the pattern of Merriam-Webster’s, but whose bracket ‘less commonly’ makes me to wonder if this sentence can be used.

  [next example] I asked what had happened of my friend.


texts: Would it be correct to use Present Continuous?

texts: Let's imagine the following situation. At school, a foreign language is studied for 11 years, starting from the 1st grade. The student can choose one of several foreign languages to study it. I ask a third grader what language he is learning (CONTEXT: at this moment he is not studing anything, he is drinking tea, for example). Is it OK to use Present Continuous in the question, for example "What language are you learning?" ? Here we are talking about a temporary action, we know when it started (1st grade) and when it will end (after 11th grade), so it seems that I can use Present Continuous. But it seems to me that I am mistaken. How would you ask the question? Explain your decision, please.


texts: what can I say ''when someone shares a good experience/feeling''?

texts:
Here's the situation:

my friend got accepted in a job interview and described his feelings and how happy he was.

I wanted to say that I've had the same experience/feeling as he does when I got my first job.I found ''I've been there'' and ''tell me about it'' but I think these expressions have too much of a negative connotation to use here

what can I use?

This is our conversation

  A) Hey, I got a job recently and I'm really happy about it.

  B) I know how you feel,.....

I want a phrase for this gap like ''I've been there'' but with a positive connotation.

In addition, It can be any positive situations like ''falling in love'', getting a job'', ''passing a hard exam'' that both sides already experienced.


texts: Why did this TED speaker use "met" when he probably should have used "meet" instead?

texts:
In one of the TED talks, if you want to achieve your goals don't focus on them, speaker Reggie tells us that when he was a 6th grader, he loved his beautiful classmate Lasandra but never had the guts to ask her to be his girlfriend. But he was determined to take action the following year. He says:

  The next year was 7th grade, and at my school, you had a different class every hour, and lockers between classes. For the first hour I had Woodshop. First hour, Lasandra had Home Economics. At my school, you’re allowed to change one class as long as the class you are moving out of met at the same time as the class you’re moving in to.
  So, I walked into the principal’s office and said,“I’d like to change from Woodshop to Home Economics.”


texts: "Who is Lisa friends with?" or "Who are Lisa friends with?"

texts:
Is it correct to ask

  Who is Lisa friends with?

or should it be

  Who are Lisa friends with?


texts: "I had been studying", "I had been studied", "I studied"

texts:
Are the following sentences correct? and what is the difference in meaning?

  I had been studying for over 3 years before I reached to level B.
  I had been studied for over 3 years before I reached to level B.
  I studied more than 3 years before I reached to level B.


texts: I want to... because A; B; and C. Semicolon necessary to avoid comma splice?

texts:
How do I write a sentence that contains because and 3 independent sentences/reasons?

For example,

  I wanted Leicester to win the league because they were underdogs; the other teams had spent more money; and I like the city of Leicester.

If I used commas instead of semicolons, would I not be guilty of comma splicing?


texts:
She is too beautiful for every boy to help gazing at.
  She is so beautiful that every boy can't help gazing at her.

I'd like to know whether they are the same meaning.


texts:
Despite its name, the guinea pig is not a member of the pig family but a rodent from the Andes in South America.

Apparently in this sentence none of the bolded parts are incorrect. I can't understand why not, isn't this sentence comparing 'a member' to 'rodent'.

Shouldn't it be something like this

  Despite its name, the guinea pig is not a member of the pig family but belongs to a rodent family from the Andes in South America.

How is the first sentence grammatically correct and what meaning does it convey.


texts:
See this real-world conversation:

  A: Something big going on in there?

  B: I couldn't say.

  A: You were in there a long time.

I would say "a long time" in the 3rd sentence is a noun & acts as an adverb.

I could see "a long time" adverb in the dictionary.

We got "awhile" (adverb) meaning "for a while" Source

But we don't have "alongtime" adverb in dictionaries, although we have "longtime" adjective

a lot of noun can act as adverbs

  Yesterday was great

  I saw her yesterday

So, Can "a long time" be an adverb meaning "for a long time"?


texts:
We're away over (= until after) the New Year. (OALD, over, preposition #10)

Over means "during something" (OALD #10) or "throughout or during (a particular amount of time)" (Merriam-Webster’s, preposition #10). Why does OALD say "until after" in the case above? Does "the New Year" refer to a day (or more days) as a holiday?


texts:
I have heard that a word like "I" is considered a word but why? is every other letter considered a word too?
I have used Grammarly and Microsoft word to write and noticed that every single letter(alone) is considered as a word but based on the definition of oxford dictionaries a word is "a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed." so why are they considered as a word?


texts:
I can't understand what "point" means in this sentence!

The complete sentence is

  Hookers at Quahog Point: An HBO Documentary...*

I found that on a Family Guy episode.

Thanks

EDIT: I wrote another sentence that seems easier to me to understand what "point" means


texts:
The noun leisure as defined in the Canadian Oxford dictionary is:

  Free time; time at one's own disposal.
  Enjoyment of free time.

  [usu. foll. by for, or to + infin.] opportunity afforded by free time.

And similarly in New Oxford American Dictionary:

  use of free time for enjoyment: increased opportunities for leisure | [as adj.] leisure activities.
  (leisure for/to do something) opportunity afforded by free time to do something: writers with enough leisure to practice their art.

Since; they both have time defined implicitly; which of the following phrases is correct?

  I've been modifying it in my leisure.
  I've been modifying it in my leisure time.

Although I think the first one is correct; but the second one is what I have seen generally. Also, the second one sounds right(?).


texts: Why is the definite article "the" used in this sentence?

texts:
Explain how the addition and removal of energy can cause a phase change.

Is it still correct or does it still mean the same if the definite article "the" is removed and zero article is used instead in this particular example?


texts:
Is the term "test panel" only applicable to the diagnostic process? Could it be used to describe a series of tests not intended to diagnose a disorder?

  Perform a panel of tests in a relevant animal model in order to determine the toxicity of the biosimilar drug product.

Would this look okay, or is it better to use "series of tests"?

Just making sure. I read the article in Wikipedia and it seems that the use of the phrase is limited to diagnostic contexts.


texts: Do I need a "will" in the following sentence?

texts:
Life began in the sea, and (will) probably going to end on the land.

Sounds good both ways, but I wonder if one is more grammatical than the other?

Or maybe I should write something like this:

  Life began in the sea, and will probably end on the land.


texts: Simple present tense rule: adding s to verb form he, she or it

texts:
In Longman's advanced grammar book the rule says 'The form of the present simple verb only changes after he, she or it, when we add -s to the base form (-es after o, s, sh, ch and x; -ies when the base form ends in -y)

In an example : A colony of Antarctic penguins lives in Marwell Zoo.

My understanding : add 's' only if he, she or it is present

My question: is 'A colony of Antarctic penguins' considered as 'it'? Or am i missing something else?


texts: Pronunciation: "I love you" and "isle of view"

texts: How are "I love you" and "isle of view" pronunced? I ask because I'm not able to distinguish the differences, but surely an English mother tongue can, presumably in less than a fifth of a second.


texts:
It is perhaps not easily found by non native English speaker, but it rather bothers me:

Variety of plants provide natural resources to species of fungi.

Variety of plants provide food resources for species of fungi.


texts: What is the difference between "who packed my chute?" and "who has packed my chute"?

texts:
I really can't feel difference between past simple tense and present perfect in that case. Example is the excerpt of dialogue from the Point Break film:

  -This is a ceremony we always do at the end
  of the summer. One last speed star.
  By the way, you might wanna pull
  that orange thing sometime.
  The life you save may be your own.

  -So, uh...who packed my Chute?

What would it have changed in meaning, if the protagonist had said "who has packed my Chute"?


texts:
I have a sentence where I need to add the preposition to occur, and I also need to know why it is so.

  Ragpicker's disease occurred (preposition) individuals who handled rags that were woven with contaminated animal fibers.


texts: The difference between will do and will be doing

texts:
I know the future continuous refers to temporary actions and events that will be in progress at a particular time in the future. However, I feel confused about the following two sentences.
Unfortunately we won’t be attending the wedding.(We cannot attend the wedding that day and maybe we can if the wedding is held another day?)
Unfortunately we won’t attend the wedding.(We've decide not to attend the wedding?)
What's the real difference between them?


texts: Difference bet will or would in conditional sentences

texts:
I read this sentence in a book."if I tell her about this ,how would that do?"
I don't understand why would is used with if +present tense.could you please explain this?


texts: Ends of verbs after words "which", "that" & "who"

texts:
If in such construction:

Noun -> any of the words (which || that || who) -> verb.

the noun is singular, should the verb have "-s" end?

For example:

  The girl who love(s) kittens.


texts:
Is “far from perfect” grammatical?

Here’s my analysis:

It’s ungrammatical because the object of preposition from must be a noun, not an adjective(perfect).
It’s grammatical because perfect can be a noun.
It’s grammatical because perfect is the shortened version of the noun phrase “perfect state” or “being perfect”.
It’s grammatical because “far from” is an adverbial phrase.

I think no. 4 is most likely correct. If it’s the case, what does it modify: the verb “is” or the adjective “perfect”?


texts:
Is there a formal alternative for the word ask?

For example, "I would like to ask about the function below".

Is there any way to say it formally?

I do not mean request. I am not requesting the functionality. I am just asking, discussing, talking about the function. As far as I know, request is  more like to look to get and obtain.

Thank you very much for your answer!


texts: Why would I be eligible for(phrase-word choice)

texts:
Let's say you just received an unexpected gift from one of the insurance companies you are subscribed to. You wonder why is that, because the company does not give gifts to common subscribers like you, and you say:

  "I don't get it, why would I be eligible for receiving any gifts from them?"

Or

  "I don't get it, how come I become eligible for receiving any gifts from them?"

In terms of phrase/word choice, is this correct?


texts: A proverb about the belief that "there is a downhill for every uphill"

texts:
Is there any fixed saying in English which can encompass the mesaage that you should not get proud of what you have or what you are; because as you got famous/wealthy/etc. you might get weak or poor... some day. [There is a belief in our culture which says: there is no permanent situation for a person in life; your power may disappear one day as you couldn't believe to get what you are now (a powerful one).]

We have a proverb which says:

  There is a downhill for every uphill. (Literally traslated)

The only equivalent I've come across to in English is:

  High places have their precipices

I had a good research about it, but still I'm not sure if it can encompass these believes or not!

The only thing that I found is that It's quoted in Cassell's Dictionary of Proverbs (London 2003) High places have their precipices.

I know another saying, but still I don't know if you use it in this sense or not:

  Every tide has its ebb.

So I would appreciate it if you could help me with it.

Thank you


texts: How do I use the word 'opposition' in political contexts?

texts:
If I talk about opposition in general, not with respect to any particular country, am I supposed to drop the article altogether or swap it for an indefinite one? Suppose

If a ruler forcefully excludes opposition from participating in domestic politics, bottled-up frustration of disadvantaged citizens may be exploited by radical underground groups.


texts: Meaning of "You say" as in "-Sorry I can't party I'm busy -You say you're busy"

texts:
I'm wondering the following conversations, extracted mostly from a comedic video at the following timestamps links: a,In this one it says you walk, no you say, but it's similar concept,c. The phrases go like this, I'm interested in what "you say" means. I think it means the speaker disbelieves the claim made by the other person.

Example 1:
-Sorry I can't party I'm busy
-You say you're busy

(He thinks it's not busy, but making up an excuse).

Example 2:

-I couldn't wash the car, I have hand pain.
-You say you have hand pain.

(He thinks he was lazy or something else, not that he has hand pain, that's he thinks it's just an excuse)

I've seen this question but it says "You say that" as a phrase. I want to know if this is analogous, and if you can point me to some link or reference where it's being used.


texts:
Here’s an interesting thought. If glaciers started reforming, they have a great deal more water now to draw on — Hudson Bay, the Great Lakes, the hundreds of thousands of lakes of Canada, none of them / which existed to fuel the last ice sheet — so they would grow very much quicker. And if they did start to advance again, what exactly would we do?

The correct usage in the above sentence is "which" in a grammar book. However, I think both "them" and "which" are correct. Am I wrong?


texts:
I got this information while learning about “reduced relative clause”. Is the given information correct?

I know that we can reduce a relative clause even if it modifies an object of a verb. Thus we can reduce the second example as:

  I gave a book written by Hemingway to Mary last week.

But I am totally confused after seeing it. When can we reduce a relative clause?


texts:
When we are talking about money, is there any difference between "small change" and "loose change"? It seems that both mean "coins of little value."

These are examples from Oxford Dictionaries:

  I didn't have any small change (= coins of low value) to leave as a tip.

  He puts his loose change in a money box for the children.


texts:
Could you please suggest some words to replace "overcome"?

  On the other hand, the development achieved in computer hardware and
  software has made computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods become an
  alternative tool to overcome the aforementioned problem.


texts:
I have a question regarding proper grammar.

Which is correct?

  Please reply only to me.
  Please reply to me only.

Thank you.


texts: Which word is most common in everyday language for an electrical outlet - "socket", "outlet", or "plug"?

texts:
In everyday language, which standalone word denominates it best?
"Socket", "Outlet" or "Plug"?


texts: What is the effective way to practice spelling for new words

texts: I'm learning GRE vocab and they are quite a lot. Roughly in the range of 1000-3000 words. Reading, probably, is the most effective way to gain new words and reinforce them but I'm facing an issue with the spelling. At this moment, I type them in Word Office over and over. I would like to see alternatives for such practice to ameliorate my spelling skill. Could you provide some hints? I'm willing to pay if there is such services that allow me to add new vocab and test me via simple software where some one read them and I type them.


texts: A word to describe something that we've done so much that it's become a part of who we are

texts:
For example, when someone who doesn't normally lie starts lying and soon it's something that comes naturally to them.

Like when you lie so much that lying just becomes what you do and you can't really stop it.


texts:
Can I use the below sentences about "how does it taste" or "how is it selling itself" ?

Which beer works best ?
They all work best.


texts:
I would like to know if I should use making a total of or totalizing to express a sum of elements such as in the following sentence:

  The study included 30 hospitals and 3 clinics. For ease of
  communication, the 3 clinics will henceforth be regarded as hospitals, making a total of / totalizing 33 hospitals.


texts: Which is the best way to start the conversation when we are calling a telephone number back?

texts:
I had a missed call from an unknown number. I want to call them back. Which is the best way to start the conversation? The caller may be an interviewer.

  I just noticed I have a missed call […].

  I had a missed call from this number […].

Is this right? Are there any suggested alternatives?


texts:
I'm writing a formal e-mail in order to inform our client that I took the place of a colleague...is this expression correct "I would like to inform you that X is no longer working at our company, so I’ll cover his responsibilities about this event"?
And then I will add something like "from now on, please contact me".


texts:
Here is a dialogue from the movie Dumb And Dumber:

  1: I wonder what's in this sucker.

  2: That thing is worth a fortune! Be careful!

  3: It would be nice to know what's in it, though.

  1: I've been racking my sack about that.

What does 'Racking my sack' mean here?

Thank you in advance.


texts: "This is one of the most important lessons I've learned" – Present Simple with Present Perfect?

texts:
Let's say you are describing your professor back when you were in college.

  His sustained commitment to learning, while never forgetting how to loosen up a bit or de-stress, is one of the most important lessons I have learned from him.

(Re-constructed, sentence #2)

  ''His sustained commitment to learning, while never forgetting how to loosen up a bit or de-stress, is a lesson I have learned from him.

First, there is the Past Tense followed by the last clause which is expressing my opinion in the Present i.e. NOW.

Maybe this is the best form... I think

P.S: I know how present perfect tense works but not quite, specifically this case. As you can see there is the word ''is'' but I am not sure if it is grammatical. Please, shed some light.


texts:
What is the difference between this ones?
Can the first one mean that she doesn't stop caring a little less as before or can it be related to the second one not first one?

She doesn't care less

She doesn't less care


texts: "I'm suffered enough" vs "I've suffered enough"? What's the difference?

texts:
I understand the "I've suffered enough already." but I'm not sure what "I'm suffered enough already." means and what's the difference between the two please?
I kind of understand the construct of "I'm tired .." but I can't figure out the meaning of "I'm suffered .." since there's also "I've suffered ..".
Thank you very much.


texts: Which of the below sentences is correct to express "you might like X but I do not"?

texts:
I was trying to mock one of my friends saying "Unlike you, I do not have this trait" but then I thought, I should have said "Like you, I do not have this trait".  Till now, it seems to me that both are correct. The first one expresses that "you have this trait but I do not have" and the second one expresses "I do not have this trait like you have".

So am I correct in this interpretation? Or is there a better way to say it?


texts:
Have you finished with this?
  No, I'm still drinking it.

Macmilian Dictionary says that finish with means "you have stopped using it".
In this sentence, I think "Have you finished this?" works.
Another example is the following:

  I've finished my meal.

  I've finished with my meal.

Could you explain the difference?

How about this sentence?

  I've finished using my camera.

Can I also say, "I've finished with my camera"?

I've never used finish with. That's why I'm not sure how to use it.

Could you possibly give me some examples using finish with?


texts: Can we use the idiom "now that" when referring to past events?

texts:
Please consider the following scenario:

  Now that he'd got/gotten the truth, his face enlightened.

I know that now that is an idiom and should be taken as such, and since it may mean since I don't see any impediment in using it.

On the other hand, now, according to the American Heritage of the English Language, definition #3:

  In the immediate past; very recently: left the room just now.

So, since my sentence refers to a now used in a distant past I wonder if there might be any conflictual semantic in it.

Note: in my language such example is perfectly valid.


texts: "Only one" vs "Exactly one" referring item count

texts:
We have a function and a piece of code that validates that one of specific parameters is present. Besides arguing whether we should state nullity or presence (e.g. Only one is not null vs Only one is present), we have a confusion about which word is more appropriate when it is used to state that there's only one conforms to a condition.

In other words, should we say Only one not null or Exactly one not null meaning that one parameter is present, but all others are absent?

Or maybe "Either is present" would be a perfect match? What do you think?


texts: Does 'pretended not to see me' have the same meaning as 'pretended that he didn't see me' in this sentence?

texts:
I really can't understand why in the following sentence I don't need to use the auxiliary verb do:

  He pretended not to see me to avoid an awkward situation.

Does

  He pretended that he didn't see me to avoid an awkward situation.

Has same meaning and is correct?


texts: Why does "Hand Waving" have a meaning "omitting important details"?

texts:
From urban dictionary:

  Also written handwaving. In formal conversation / speech omitting
  important details about the subject matter either because 1) the
  audience is perceived to be ignorant 2) the speaker themselves is not
  well-informed on the subject matter or 3) a little from column A and a
  little from column B.

I can understand that definition, but I wonder, why does "Hand Waving"  have a meaning "omitting important details"? Is there a story behind that?


texts:
I have a question about this headline:

  Medicare paid billions in suspect claims

A "claim" is a request for money, not the requested money itself.  So, would the following rewrites of the original headline:

  Medicare paid billions in suspect-claims money
  Medicare paid billions for suspect claims

be better?


texts: I'm glad you do/ I'm glad you like the painting (i've drawn) -- meaning difference

texts:
If someone tells you they really like the painting you've drawn.

Could you respond to their telling you that, saying "I'm glad you do.", instead of "I'm glad you like the painting"


texts:
I have these words.

  You look different. (Had/you/your/dyed/hair/have)?

I need to form the words with have something done.

Would it be like this? Have you had your hair dyed? Or should it be rather You have had your hair dyed?

Same thing with this one

  This is a great photo. (can/copy/have/made/we/a)?

Would it be like this?

  Can we have a copy made?

or rather:

  We can have a copy made?


texts: Instead of "I like the Lord of the Rings series", can I say "I like the series Lord of the Rings"? Are they interchangeable structures? Another example sentence: "Do you like the series Lord of the Rings?" Can I say this instead of "Do you like the Lord of the Rings series?"?


texts:
What is the difference between two sentences in terms of meaning?

  "We live just off The Avenue. Drive along The Avenue almost to the end
  and then turn off to the right into a little cul-de-sac." (original)

  "We live just off The Avenue. Drive along The Avenue almost to the end
  and then turn to the right into a little cul-de-sac." (my sentence)


texts: What are the differences between "constrain" and "cause"

texts:
A constrains B

A causes B

What are the differences?

Examples would be very helpful.


texts: Each of them considered, "I miss her more than he.": is this use of "considered" grammatical?

texts:
From a story in which a man and a cat are left alone, for some time, by a woman:

  Each of them considered, "I miss her more than he."

Is this use of "consider" technically okay?

Looks not very natural, but Merriam-Webster's entry for "consider" does include the sense "to suppose".

Proofreading texts written by English learners seems to be a good way of stumbling upon interesting questions.


texts: Noun for people who are religious (abrahamic) yet believes in luck, astrology, and other superstition

texts:
I came a cross a word (which I find easily forgettable) that describes people who are very religious (mostly pertaining to christians) yet hypocritically believes in superstitions like Luck, Feng Shui, Astrology and other related superstition.

I am not sure if this is a tip-of-the-tongue moment since I've never even used that difficult word once.

I may have problems describing the word, so maybe your questions might lead us to get a better description on what we're looking for.

I have tried Google, but the results are mostly about religious articles instead...


texts: How to use past participle to start an adverbial clause?

texts:
I am confused about whether the following sentence is a conventional way to form an adverbial clause.

  Discussed many times, the problem was settled at last.

The question is whether this sentence is as equally appropriate as "Having been discussed many times, the problem was settled at last".


texts:
The sentence is:

  However, if a machine is not managed by an Ambari agent then the client-side software would have to be manually installed.

Why would is used here? Can it be omitted without loss of meaning?


texts:
And from the first time that she really done me
Oh, she done me
She done me good
I guess nobody ever really done me
Oh, she done me
She done me good

This is a lyric of the song "Don't let me down" of the Beatles. "done" is the past participle of "do" and an adjective. Why is it "she really done me"?


texts: Which is correct? - "Guess, what it is?" or "Guess, what is it?"

texts:
I want to know which sentence is correct. If i say

  Guess, what it is?

or

  Guess, what is it?

which one is correct?


texts: Word Stress in What am I supposed to do?

texts:
I heard this question: "What am I supposed to do?" asked often by native speakers in movies. I'm sure the stress is changing depending on the context, however I think there is a default unemphatic context used in everyday speech. For example:

Person A and B are speaking.

Person A: I'm not impressed with your results.

Person B: Okay. What am I supposed to do?

To make it clearer I decided to cut this phrase out from a movie and attached here: https://youtu.be/t3Bdw5CKHIY

The lady that asks the question doesn't seem to stress "am", "I", or "to". She doesn't try to make contrast between her and someone else when asking the question. I might be wrong, because I'm not a native speaker and can't trust what I hear.

I perceive stress on "What", "supposed" and perhaps "do". I'm not sure if "do" need stress in a context like above. Any idea? Can I use equal stress on all three words?

I would be grateful for any suggestion. What words would you stress if you would simply ask the same question.

Thank you. Your time is appreciated.


texts:
Is there a word that describes the unjustified use of a more complex word?

For example, using "didactic" instead of using the simpler "instructive" when the use of "didactic" is not justified in the context, as it could have been swapped with "instructive" without changing the meaning at all. There are some cases where it might be justified, but in our fictional example it is not.

How would you describe such writing or such a literary choice?


texts: Answer to the question "where have you been?"

texts:
How should I answer the question "where have you been"? Should a possible reply be "I've been cleaning the garden." or "I was cleaning the garden."? I mean should I use 'present perfect tense' or 'past tense'?

Note that I have just finished cleaning the garden.


texts:
Is there a reason why British use me instead of my in their sentences? For example, I'm going to call me mom.
Is it just a slang in Britain? Is the usage grammatically correct?


texts: What does "run them off their feet" mean?

texts:
Two black guys go to Ohio State University in 1933. White dudes lock horns with them. One black guy asks another what are they supposed to do, if not kicking their ass. There is the answer: "You just smile and play nice. Run every last one of these peckerwoods off their feet."
I'm not sure what does the lat line mean.


texts: Please help me to give me sentence structure(grammar) detail

texts:
Please help me to give me sentence structure detail  as following

  Nothing I did would ever satisfy my father.**

Like
"did" <-- is it emphasizing word , it like I "do" have a problem isn't it.


texts:
I want to say that the matter is very old but by using the phrase "a long time back".

"It is a matter of a long time back" - How to make it idiomatic?


texts: What does the phrase "such that" mean in this sentence?

texts:
In my opinion, "such that" is just like the word "so". But in the sentence below, substituting the phrase "such that" using "so" makes me confused.

"Let P and Q be m × n and m × l matrices" can not guarantee "PTP is nonsingular" after all. So, how should I understand the phrase "such that" in these sentence?


texts: I'd like to compare these two sentences - "do a job of"

texts:
I'm currently doing a job of designing a website.

I think this implies more professionnality by using a word 'job'. this sentence would never imply that I'm at the moment designing a website sitting on a chair and using computer. Rather, It would imply that designing a website is what I spend most of my time at these days.

  I'm currently designing a website.

this could imply that I'm currently in front of computer designing a website.

So, when I describe what I usually do these days, I would say #1. Am I right?


texts: " to choke the life out of somebody/something "

texts:
What does this phrase mean?

  Here are example contexts:

  Some inhibitions are good, such as the one that prevents us from choking the life out of people we dislike. Other inhibitions, like the
  ones that prevent someone from ever enjoying himself, are not so
  great.
  When comparisons are choking the life out of you
  What’s Choking the ‘Life’ Out of You?

Since normally we can only choke the things which are alive, I could not understand exacty. But probably "choking the life" could figuratively mean "feeling down", "being dragged down by" or maybe "giving up on life". Am I correct?

Thanks


texts:
While teaching yesterday I came across two sentences and I got stuck on them.

If somebody offered me to buy a fur coat, I would say that it is too expensive.
OR
If somebody offered me to buy a fur coat, I would say that it was too expensive.

Do we generally need to make a step backwards using indirect speech after "would say"?

If something bad happened to my family when they are abroad, it would be terrible.
OR
If something bad happened to my family when they were abroad, it would be terrible.


texts: This is going to be my chance to [verb] any difficulties. Solve or sort out?

texts:
The sentence

  This is going to be my chance to _____ any difficulties.

is from an English test. Possible answers include: "solve", "sort out". And an examinee have to choose ONLY one right answer.

I'm pretty sure that "sort out" fits that sentence. But according to the dictionary the verb "solve" seems to be an acceptable choice too.

Could you please tell me whether the sentences

  This is going to be my chance to sort out any difficulties.

  This is going to be my chance to solve any difficulties.

are both idiomatic(natural) or not?


texts: Singular countable nouns without any article

texts: So the general rule is that an article, either definite or indefinite, must be used with any countable singular nouns.  We say 'a chair' or 'the chair', for example.  But, it seems that when a singular countable noun comes after the phrase, 'kind of', an article is not used.  For example: What kind of flower is this? What kind of chair is this?  In both example sentences there is no article before the words, flower or chair. Could anyone explain this, please?


texts:
I have to use a sentence which is:
May your bakery keep flooding with customers.
Will it be keep or keeps. As bakery is singular, so is keeps fine?
Can anyone explain the logic? Thank you so much.


texts: Past Perfect and Present simple confusion

texts:
I am a native English speaker and have been asked which of these is correct and can't give a definitive answer.

  We ate dinner after I arrived  (2 x simple past verbs)
  We ate dinner after I had arrived (past perfect)

  We ate dinner when/once I arrived  (sounds odd)
  We ate dinner when/once I had arrived  (also odd)

I thought the first is more commonly used as it is more about timing, although the second is grammatically correct.

Some clarity on this would be helpful.


texts: Shall I say "Open your books" or "Open your book" when facing a group of kids?

texts:
It might be a very simple question or even a silly one, but I am really a bit confused when saying "Open your books" while I am asking a group of kids to open a certain book(many students have one book or some books each).

Sometimes I say "Open your book", and it sounds quite OK.

For me, I want them to open their books which are many, but, for each kid, each one of them opens only one book.

Which sentence is more prevailing?


texts: I don't like to be addicted to anything Vs.I like to be addicted to nothing

texts:
What's the difference between these two sentences? Do they mean the same?

I don't like to be addicted to anything.
I like to be addicted to nothing.

Basically I want to say that I don't like to be addicted even to one thing. Which of the above means that?


texts: Supposed to be.. or supposed to have/has been

texts:
He is supposed to be actor when he was younger.
  He is supposed to have been actor when he was younger.

Which one is grammatically correct?


texts: Would you tell me if I have used *so...that* properly?

texts:
Have I used so ... that properly in the following sentence?

  My life was so rapidly going to absurdity that I did not know what to do.


texts: Small letter or capital letter for the word "aunt"

texts:
He requsted his aunt Mary.

  He requested his Aunt Mary.

I wonder whether I need to capitalize the word "aunt" in this sentence.


texts: How is cohesion different from adhesion?

texts:
I am trying to understand cohesion, but it looks similar to adhesion.

I want to know how cohesion is different from adhesion
Could you please give an example (basic English)?

I am trying to understand this from the computer science perspective.


texts: Can I use 'present perfect' when describing a historical event?

texts:
I learned that historical event like "Korean war broke out in 1950." should be
described with past tense.

But when a past event influences present situation, could we use 'present perfect'?

Like this,'Korean war has broken out in 1950.' or 'Edison has invented the electric bulb.'

please, tell me.


texts: How to understand "throwing science at the wall here to see what sticks"?

texts:
It's said by Cave Johnson -- an character in Portal2. Full voice line is:

  "Just a heads up: We're gonna have a superconductor turned up full
  blast and pointed at you for the duration of this next test. I'll be
  honest, we're throwing science at the wall here to see what sticks. No
  idea what it'll do. Probably nothing. Best-case scenario, you might
  get some superpowers. Worst case, some tumors, which we'll cut out."

I don't understand throwing science at the wall. In my opinion, what we throw should be a real thing (a ball, a stone), but science is an abstract concept, how could we throw it at the wall? And how could science (or something) stick to the wall?

Please give me some hints to understand that.


texts:
Here is the containing paragraph:

  Disruption also attracts attention: disruptors are people who look for
  trouble and find it. Disruptive kids get sent to the principal’s
  office. Disruptive companies often pick fights they can’t win. Think
  of Napster: the name itself meant trouble. What kinds of things can
  one “nap”? Music … Kids … and perhaps not much else. Shawn Fanning and
  Sean Parker, Napster’s then-teenage founders, credibly threatened to
  disrupt the powerful music recording industry in 1999. The next year,
  they made the cover of Time magazine. A year and a half after that,
  they ended up in bankruptcy court.

What does the verb "nap" mean here? I've looked at many dictionaries but couldn't find any suitable meaning.


texts:
Suppose the context is measuring a size of a piece of rock:

  The rock measures 10 cm along the greatest dimension.
  The rock measures 10 cm in the greatest dimension.

Should it be "along" or "in"?


texts: What is the meaning of "know this far forth"?

texts:
I came across this sentence in "The Tempest" by Shakespeare:

  Know this far forth

This is Prospero's reply to question of Miranda in which she asks him why he raised that sea storm? How should I interpret it?


texts: How we should use 'it's not worth it' structure for an activity

texts:
How should I use this structure to convey the matter in my question exactly like a native:

  1. It is not worth it we are moving next year
  2. It is not worth it if we move next year
  3. It is not worth it moving next year for us
  4. It is not worth moving next year for us


texts:
What is the meaning of "take this" and "take it"?
Is there any difference in their meaning or they can be used interchangeably?


texts: What does "it was on a yoga retreat in Ibiza" mean here?

texts:
I would like to know what "it was on a yoga retreat in Ibiza" means in the following sentences:

‘Now,’ Will says, palm on my back as a gentle steer, warm through my
dress, ‘let me introduce you to some people. This is Georgina.’
Georgina, thin and chic in a column of fuchsia silk, gives me a wintry
smile. She can’t move her face much and I try hard not to stare – I’m
not sure I’ve ever seen Botox in real life. ‘Were you on the hen
do?’ she asks. ‘I can’t remember.’
‘I had to give it a miss,’ I say. ‘The kids . . .’ Partly true. But
there’s also the fact that it was on a yoga retreat in Ibiza and I
could never in a million years have afforded it.

Lucy Foley, The Guest List, Chapter 12

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, Hannah, the wife of Charlie (Jules' friend), arrived at the island and is now at the dinner party for the rehearsal dinner with only some selected guests. And during the party, Hannah meets Georgina, and remembers how she had to miss the hen do.
In this part, I am wondering what "it was on a yoga retreat in Ibiza" means.
I am especially confused as to why the narrator chose to write "the hen do was on a yoga retreat" rather than "the hen do was a yoga retreat" directly. Would "on" add a special meaning, or provide some grammatical function here...?
I guess probably that would be because I am finding it difficult to understand what exactly "yoga retreat" is... I googled it and some say it is a period of time devoted for yoga holiday and others say it is just a yoga trip, so I am confused.


texts:
The customer service representative spoke impatiently to a customer. Afterwards:

  His boss gave him a talking to.  [told him he had performed unacceptably]

Is to to be considered a part of the noun?


texts: The meaning of 'earrings that announced their names thrice over'

texts:
I heard the fear in the first music I ever knew, the music that pumped
  from boom boxes full of grand boast and bluster. The boys who stood
  out on Garrison and Liberty up on Park Heights loved this music
  because it told them, against all evidence and odds, that they were
  masters of their own lives, their own streets, and their own bodies. I
  saw it in the girls, in their loud laughter, in their gilded bamboo
  earrings that announced their names thrice over.

-Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

How the earrings can announce someone's name? Is there such an expression?


texts:
I need help.

Can I use 'were' here. The condition the speaker has is not an illness.

  If it wasn't for the spiritual practice that initiated it I would be convinced that it were(?) a serious illness and that I would be hopelessly lost.

Thank you.


texts: Do we need to use ‘the’ before ‘bottom right’?

texts:
When we say

  Please make sure that you have all the pages. Page numbers are printed at bottom right of each page.

do we need to use the before bottom right?


texts:
If I am talking to a car rental agent whose company has many branch offices, could I use the following sentence?
I'd like to know if it is natural to leave out the object of pick up.

  Can I pick up at one location and return it at another?
  Can I pick up from one location and return a car to another?

I'm thinking about examples like "He bought and ate a burger," where the
object "burger" is shared by "bought" as well as "ate." Do you know
the same process cannot work in the car rental example?


texts: An act of making a citizen work (spy?) against his own country

texts:
What's the right word to describe an act of making a citizen of one country (by either paying him or, perhaps, setting him up in some way) start getting and sharing some important info about his own country?

For example,

  The FBI forces finally ______________(ed) the Russian scientist Ivanov
  in 1957. So, starting from 1957 he's been sending all important
  information about Russian militaries to the White House.

(or something like that)


texts: The difference between a company and a firm

texts:
In a very famous tv show we talk about a firm and in other tv show we talk about company

I want to know the main difference between them.


texts:
I am reading Heidi Grant Halvorson's book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals but assailed by these two chapter titles: How to Keep On Keepin' On and Know When to Fold 'Em.

I thought they can also be written as How to Keep On Keeping On and Know When to Fold Them, and I have encountered such spelling several times elsewhere.

When can I spell that way?


texts:
The professor teaches a lesson concerning the nature of knowledge.
The professor teaches a lesson about the nature of knowledge.

Is option (1) more formal than option (2)? It seems to me that to teach a lesson concerning something is a more formal expression than *to teach a lesson about something; although certainly they both mean the same.


texts: Which is grammatically correct, if a person doesn’t or don’t learn from something, then they’re doomed to repeat it.


texts: Difference between "last year" and "over the last year"

texts:
In this sentence,

The investment in equipment last year ___ a significant increase in sales.

Between "is causing" and "has caused", I think I have to use "has caused". However, my friends told me that if I want to use "has caused", sentence has to be corrected "over the last year", and not "last year". Can anyone explain this to me?


texts: I am not sure how to use "as" or "is" in this sentence

texts: What the caterpillar perceives as (is) the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning.


texts: Error Spotting : He says that he has done engineering besides an MBA

texts:
He says that he has done engineering besides an MBA.

I have an error spotting exercise booklet as per which the above sentence is error free but isn't it better to omit an from the sentence ? To my ears He says that he has done engineering besides  MBA sounds better.


texts: What is a collective term for animals that people can ride?

texts: Such animals as donkeys, camels and horses. I'm sure this word exists in English. I knew it for some time, but it has slipped my mind recently.


texts: The indefinite article in phrases "something of (a) something"

texts:
I don't get the logic of using - or not using - the article a in the examples below. Is there any rule on this score? Or is it grammatically allowed to both put or omit a in the cases like these?

  After a few minutes of (a) futile argument we had to accept...

  He has a reputation of (a) troublemaker.


texts: Is it idiomatic to use "it is just that" for adding an extra point to what one just mentioned?

texts:
"it is just that" is usually used as a polite way to disagree with what other says, or to politely say no to a request.

Is it idiomatic that one uses it for adding an extra point to what one just mentioned.

Example:

  Group A require intentionality for moral act, group B don't. So the
  act described here is moral according to both A's and B's view. It is
  just that "intentional moral act" is not a proper term in the view of group A, because in their view there is no such thing as "unintentional moral
  act".

Is "it is just that" used idiomatically in the above sentence. If not, what to use instead?


texts:
Let's suppose that a dispute started from disagreement about some statement(s). It has been developing to further statements and finally returned to the origial one(s).

May we say:

  So we've gotten to the starting point!

  So we've gotten to where we've started!

What would be an idiomatic way to say this?


texts: Does the word "Bill" in meaning of "banknote" exist or common somewhere?

texts:
I saw in my a dictionary  that one of the meanings of "bill" is a banknote. Because I don't such using I've checked also Cambridge dictionary

  mainly us uk usually note a piece of paper money:

As I understand, the meaning of "a piece of paper money" is banknote. )If it is, I really don't understand why they don't write simply banknote.). My question is if it is common somewhere to use "bill" in meaning banknote?

*n.b. Anyway I understand that the most common meaning is a paper with request of money, like monthly expenses of having apartment (electricity, water etc.)


texts:
In London, there is a pretty famous bar called "Dirty Dick".

I imagined how I would translate it to my language, giggled, and started looking a resonable meaning of "Dirty Dick".

Here is what I have found:

An excerpt from Wikipedia about the first owner:

  Nathaniel Bentley, commonly known as Dirty Dick, was an 18th-century merchant who owned a hardware shop and warehouse in London. [...]

  Dirty Dick's pub in Bishopsgate has existed for over 200 years.
  He was a previous owner of a pub on Bishopsgate, in the City of London, which is named after him.

All the definitions of 'dick' suggested by Oxford Dictionary:

a man's penis; (my initial thought, but that's rude to be used in public)
a stupid or contemptible man (the story doesn't reveal the detail);
a detective (originally, he was a merchant).

What do you think?

Any help would be appreciated.


texts:
What is the difference between "should" and "had better"? Consider these sentences for example:

It's cold outside. You should wear a coat.
It's cold outside. You'd better wear a coat.

What are the differences in meaning? How can one decide which one to use? What pitfalls are there?


texts:
Is "There would have not been a need" a common phrase in English?
It is very common in my first language and is used very often in daily conversations. For example,

Had you been a bit more descriptive in the very beginning, there would have
not been a need to clarify things later.

But I just keyed in this phrase in Google and found only 9 results with this phrase and they all seem to be coming from either religious or scientific background.


texts:
On Monday, January 28, Grandview played at Inglis but notched only five goals to seven for Inglis. (source)

  So often he has played second fiddle to Wright and notched only nine goals last season to his partner's 30. (source)

These sentences read a little odd to me. The meaning is clear, but can "to" commonly stand in for "compared to"? If this indeed is a common usage, some other example sentences would be helpful. Or are these sentences uncommon instances of ellipsis? Also, what is the function of the boldfaced parts? Adverbial complement?


texts: Is the sentence "I've got a place at college, so do I" grammatically correct? if yes, what does "so do I" add in the meaning?


texts:
The union insisted on an increase in their members’ starting pay,
  and threatened to call a strike if the company refused to meet the
  demand.

It is from an SAT Grammar Test. The right decision is to change their to its.

But if instead of "the union" there were "the person" or "the politician" I think you could leave their untouched. Why it is not correct for "the union"? Maybe because with "the person" or "the politician" you use their to avoid sexism (you don't know whether it is 'his' or 'her'), but with "it" there is no such problem, so it should be strictly "its"?


texts:
Physical science has progressed by leaving the mind out of what it
  tries to explain, but there may be more to the world than can be
  understood by physical science.

[What does it all mean? Thomas Nagel]

I think the bold sentence means "there are more things in the world that can't be understood by physical science. Is it right?

Many thanks!


texts: When the media announces a day an official closure

texts:
Let's suppose tomorrow everywhere will be closed due to a heavy snowfall and subsequently the bad weather condition! The TV/radio announces / declares that tomorrow is a holiday for work, schools and universities! Which one of the following sentences would sound natural to a native speaker to indicate this message:

1 - The TV/radio announced an official closure tomorrow due to the weather.
2 - The TV/radio declared an official closure tomorrow due to the weather.
3 - The TV/radio announced a holiday tomorrow due to the weather.
4 - The TV/radio declared a holiday tomorrow due to the weather.

I am asking this question because:

I doubt which one of the verbs announce or declare would sound more natural when  a clusure is publicly informed.
I am not confident if "official closure" is used frequently in this sense! If yes, then how?
To identify the frequency of using the term "official closure" VS the word "holiday" in this sense in English.


texts:
I have seen the movie Titanic.

or

  I have seen the Titanic movie.

Which of these are correct? How do we can find the right order for these kinds of phrases?


texts:
Please correct my mistake (if it is) in the below sentence:
"SS-Computing: A New Method for Calculating smth Based on (the) variation of smth else"
Could you tell me if I must put "the" before "variation" or not?
Thanks.


texts:
We listened to the old man tell his story from beginning to end.

How come that it is not from the beginning to the end? It is the beginning and the end of the particular story. The only explanation I can think of is that from beginning to end is kind of an idiomatic adverb meaning completely, and you cannot alter this adverb.


texts: "Play" or "playing" – which one is correct and why?

texts:
People often see him play basketball on the playground at the weekend.

Can I use playing instead?


texts:
Okay, 2 thoughts. Not that you asked, but...
  1) You're going to crash, and it's okay when you do. This isn't a recovery. I did the same thing, it's part of the plan, usually, but you're not okay the way you think you are, so leave room for the bottom to fall out of this, make sure the right people are there to help, and you're next recovery will be a real one. You don't have to believe me.
  2) don't give up on your step-daughter before you've talked to a lawyer. In many states (including mine) there are rights for a "defacto father" that can approximate an adoptive patent, particularly if get biodad isn't on the picture. It depends on the state, but it's worth asking.

  –reddit

A guy gave out a rant and someone reply with the above message.
I am guessing it means an "emotional breakdown"?


texts: This is with regards to usage of Present Perfect or present tense

texts:
Question is :

He____(be) carrying his wallet for three years. He thinks it _____(be) lucky for him.

What should (be) be replaced with and why?

It seems the answer is

He has been(be) carrying his wallet for three years. He thinks it is (be) lucky
for him.

My question now is why it is

He thinks it is lucky for him

and not

He thinks it has been lucky for him.


texts: is "are you listening to yourself" similar to "are you honest to yourself"?

texts:
Some websites say "are you listening to yourself?" = "Are you understanding what you're saying?" Source

I don't think the above explains accurately.

I think "are you listening to yourself?" is similar to "are you honest to yourself"?

This site said "Listening to yourself means noticing the voice in your head and your intuition or gut feeling. When you are in a situation, be aware of the wisdom that your body, mind, and spirit are offering you."

So, is "are you listening to yourself" similar to "are you honest to yourself" or "listening to what your soul are providing for you"?


texts: Translation of "Why for you". (Softer, politer synonyms for "It's not your business")

texts:
The title really sounds silly but it is true translation from local language to English. I believe (and sure) it's not correct.

Can someone suggest to me the correct word (phrase)?

The intention is: "Its not your business".

The context: dialogue between two school children. The point is, one meddles in other's business.


texts: Besides "beer factory", does brewery mean something else?

texts:
It sounds like the speaker is saying

  we went to a local brewery -
  we go there nearly every Friday because it's a fantastic place for us to relax
  while our children play.

And its official transcript verifies that.

as far as I know, brewery is a place where beer is made commercially. Is it an appropriate place where kids play?

In the context of the quotation, is brewery referring to the place where beer is made or something else?


texts: Omitting a verb at the end of a sentence to avoid repetition

texts:
Children’s endeavor and growth are valuable just like their success and it is not only successes that are scored, but also efforts and progress [are also scored].

Is it correct to omit the the last part inside brackets, given the fact that the verb "scored" is already used in the sentence?


texts: I wouldn't mind if she goes/went rampage?

texts:
Which one is correct?

  I wouldn't mind if she goes rampage on him.

  I wouldn't mind if she went rampage on him.


texts: What is the difference between "play up" and "act up"?

texts:
I brought one example for each phrasal verb. Can they be supplanted with each other without any change in the mean of the sentence?
My shoulder is playing me up today.
How long has your ankle been acting up?


texts: lose fingers and stuff (while?) trying to catch knives

texts:
... like people in cooking school lose fingers and stuff trying to catch
  knives.

Here is the context https://youtu.be/HkKRWOMMSs8?t=479

Could the sentence be interpreted as

  ... like people in cooking school lose fingers and stuff while trying to catch
  knives.

?


texts: What does "lose the power to shock" mean?

texts: The killing of Qassem Suleimani by an American drone on January 3rd threatened to bring the United States and Iran closer to war than at any time since the hostage crisis in 1979. In a part of the world that has lost the power to shock, the audacious killing of Iran’s most important general, ordered by President Donald Trump, sent Iran reeling. (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/01/09/donald-trump-wants-to-curb-iran-has-he-gone-about-it-the-right-way)


texts: Uisng "go so far as to" with location not thing

texts:
The phrase "go so far as to" say or do something, is common. But if I want to describe extreme distance such as traveling to a distant country. Can I use something like:

  I could not imaging I could go so far as to America

If the above phrase is not correct, can you suggest other phrases.


texts: What is this thing called ? Is it just a ‘Glass Half-wall’ or does it have another name? And what if it was outdoors ?


texts: 'The' vs zero article with 'Roman numerals'

texts:
What article, zero or definite, will be grammatically correct in the sentence below and why?

  How is the number 5 written in ___ Roman numerals?

My answer was the zero article only, however my English tutor said that both definite and zero articles could be used here.

Googling shows some results for 'in the Roman numerals' in similar unspecific contexts, but a number of them is much smaller and they don't seem very reliable to me.


texts: "When would I use which" vs. "When to use which"

texts:
In one of my posts ("Farthest" vs. "The farthest") I said

  Is there some difference in meaning? When would I use which?

I guess it is grammatical, though it does not seem to be idiomatic, according to Google Ngram

"Ngrams not found: When would I use which, When should I use each" indicate somehow people rarely say it that way.

However, if I had said this way

  Is there some difference in meaning? When to use which?

The second sentence dose not seem grammatical.

What am I missing? Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts: What is the meaning of "return to find" in this context?

texts:
I'm wondering about the specific meaning of the following sentence:

  David returned (from work) to find his house had burned down.

Of these two explanations—

David returned from work with a specific purpose, which was to find out whether or not his house had burned down.
David returned from work just like any other day and was surprised to discover that his house had burned down?

—which one accurately describes the sentence as written?


texts: Words that are synonyms to 'to put one’s foot in one’s mouth'?

texts: What words are there that have a similar meaning to  'put one’s foot in one’s mouth'?


texts:
When you talk about any day in general, which article would you prefer in the expression "start a/the day."

Can you please explain the logic behind your choice?

I searched for some context in the Corpus of Contemporary American English,  where the phrase seems to mean any day in general (at least, as it seems to me), but the article usage is different. All in all, the seems to prevail.

  When she rouses me out of a dead sleep in the morning with soft kisses and she acts all playful and cuddly. I can't get enough of that. It's my favorite way to start a day.

  I often start the day by puttering--watering the garden, sweeping my studio floor, putting on some inspiring music.


texts:
Do you think if you could check this essay for me?

Is if legitimate in that place, or it is a dish best served without if?


texts:
What does the phrase "this will date me" mean?

I searched for it here on "English Language Learners" and on Google but I could not find the meaning.


texts:
The terrorists had used their  influence — fear— to keep the women as prisoners.

The power of believing in the myth (fear) kept its spirit alive.

How should these types of examples be punctuated? For instance, if you want to draw attention to an idea or meaning not explicitly understood.


texts: Is the title of Borat movie grammatically correct?

texts:
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, is this title grammatically correct ? It seems wrong to me but I was wondering if there was any such kind of use of "make benefit" that I didn't know.
Let me know if this question doesn't belong here.


texts:
1- Tryouts for select teams are held in August with practice
  starting in September. (What does "starting" modify here? )

  2- Free tokens will be issued for each tour starting at 8 p.m.
  in front of the inn. (Does "each tour" start at 8 p.m. or "issuing free token" starts at 8 p.m. ?)

  3- In February the NZSIS issued its annual report for the year
  ending 30 June 2009. (What is the thing that ends here? What does "ending" modify in this sentence?)

  4- Below are links to the High School standings for the week
  ending Sunday, May 23. (What is the thing that ends here? What does "ending" modify in this sentence?)


texts: Is the sentence "No, animals are allowed." grammatically correct?

texts:
I understand very well that a phrase like "No animals are allowed." is correct English. It means animals are forbidden; they aren't allowed.

But imagine a place or an organization where administration does allow participants or visitors carrying their animals with themselves. I think in modern world it is possible. Then imagine a visitor who asks: "Are animals forbidden here?" Can the director or manager answer: "No, animals are allowed." or "No, animals are allowed here."?

According to my textbook, it's not possible. My textbook says an essentially affirmative answer ("Animals are allowed.") cannot begin with negation 'no' (followed by a comma). But I doubt if this is true.


texts:
They were then cast aside as so much chaff.

I strongly suspect, that this means 'cast aside as mere chaff' but I'm not sure.


texts:
This is from Macmillan English Grammar in Context by Michael Vince.

Alan Chester is  a 25-year-old journalism student from Ohio who is taking six years to complete his undergraduate degree. In order to pay tuition fees and other expenses he is working four days a week in the university kitchen, while in the university holidays he does part-time job.

According to the book my answer "is working" is wrong.

I find it hard at the moment to study and pay my bills at the same time.

My choice "I find" is wrong.

Some students spend time experimenting with difficult courses before choosing their major.

I used "spend" it is wrong.
Could you please explain to me what makes my choices wrong?


texts:
According to Collins dictionary, raise can mean:

  verb
  If you raise money for a charity or an institution, you ask people for money which you collect on its behalf.

I am wondering if I can say "raise food or donations for a charity"? Or raise some relief materials?


texts:
The scene was not without a mixture of awe, such as must always
  invest the spectacle of guilt and shame in a fellow-creature, before
  society shall have grown corrupt enough to smile, instead of
  shuddering at it. (Nathaniel Hawthorne,The Scarlet Letter)

‘As’ seems to take the role of relative pronoun, and as-clause modifies ‘a mixture of awe.’ Is this right understanding?


texts:
Why does it sound more natural to say:

He stood up and started walking forward.

that

He stood up and went forward

The questiion is for difference between to go and to walk. Taken an attempt to find it in a dictionary, but haven't got any success.


texts:
Do the predicate and the Verb Phrase share the same name? The term verb phrase is used to describe the verb and all the subsequent elements of the sentence that it encompasses. The term predicate also shares smiliar, if not identical, characteristics. What, if any, is the difference between the two?
Thanks for any help.


texts: Phrase for someone who worked for one company but now works for a competitor

texts:
In Italian we have a sentence,

  passare alla concorrenza

It means that someone who worked for company X starts working with company Y, who is a competitor of X (they sell the same goods for the same market). This sentence can also mean that, say, a TV host starts hosting shows on another TV channel, etc.

Can you help me find an English collocation with the same meaning, if any exists?


texts: Difference between "Do we have a blog?" and "We have a blog?"

texts:
I saw a simple question in a  comment on SE:

  What if I told you there was a sci-fi and fantasy blog?

  We have a blog?

But according to my English textbook, that question should be: Do we have a blog? So I just wonder, We have a blog? is a mistake or it's correct and has a different meaning from Do we have a blog?


texts: Difference between 'will have done' and 'must have done'?

texts:
Here is an example:

  "What is particularly interesting is that despite being heavily based upon the CPR, the Court Rules do not incorporate the costs management additions to CPR 3 that were introduced following Rupert Jackson’s reforms in 2013. Given the extent to which the rules of procedure otherwise mirror the CPR, that will have been a very deliberate decision."

It seems to me that 'will have been' refers to a past event which is thought of on the supposition.  I had a chance to look at "Will Have Done" tense- meaning and examples.

For me, this appears to have similarity with 'must have done' something in the past which gives us an indication of the conclusion being made.

Is there any difference between 'will have done' and 'must have done' in terms of grammar and meaning?

Kind regards,


texts: Is "Agree to NOUN" instead of "Agree to VERB" acceptable?

texts:
I'm aware about two usages of the verb agree:

To agree with somebody or something:

  I agreed with him.
  I agree with this idea.

To agree to do something:

  We agreed to stop and eat.

However, I often notice the following usage yes, I read these documents carefully:

  ...You agree to the terms and conditions of this agreement

Is this usage correct?


texts: We _________ our breakfast half an hour ago

texts:
We _____________ our breakfast half an hour ago.

  finished (Simple Past)
  have finished  (Present Perfect)
  had finished  (Past Perfect)
  None

I chose the "have finished", but the answer is "finished". Why?


texts: What does the sucks mean in this context?

texts:
Between the trees the air seemed scarcely to move. The heat had
  thickened it, so that the winged insects sat torpid on the very leaves
  beneath which crouched the mantis and spider, too drowsy to strike.
  Along the foot of a tilted, red rock a porcupine came nosing and
  grubbing. It broke open a tiny shelter of sticks and some meagre,
  round-eared little creature, all eyes and bony limbs, fled across the
  stones. The porcupine, ignoring it, was about to devour the beetles
  scurrying among the sucks when suddenly it paused, raised its head and
  listened.

It is again a quotation from Shardik by Richard Adams. Only possible definition of suck seemed to fit the situation I found is an act or instance of sucking; or sound produced by sucking. But how the beetles can scurrying among the sucks if the porcupine was just about to devour them. Though right now I think this is also nonsense: the porcupine doesn't suck at least to devour something. And I just thought it also can be an epithet to some object mentioned before (but if it is then I can't recognize which one), for this case I put as much context as possible.
So I'm really confused about the meaning of the sucks here.


texts:
There’s a phrase saying: “Everyday’s a little harder, as I feel my power grow”

Isn’t it supposed to be ‘grows’ instead of ‘grow’ going by the fact that ‘my power’ is considered as 3rd person singular?


texts: When should I use next, upcoming and coming?

texts:
I'd like to know when should I use "next", "upcoming" and "coming"?

The Associated Press (AP) earlier on Monday reported the doses would
be shared in coming months following their clearance by the FDA.

My doubt is, on the phrase above could I use "next" or "upcoming" too? Could explain me the grammar rule applicable to too?


texts:
Can I use "I'd" when I want to say "I could / I should"?

I know "I'd" is "I would / I had" but I was wondering if it is correct saying "I'd" to mean "I could / I should".


texts:
"Then again, it didn't matter, did it?"

What's the meaning of "then again" here?

Is it the same as "thinking better"?


texts: What is a "professional" synonym for newbie?

texts:
At one of my past jobs, I trained 4 team members who joined as college graduates, and they took on important assignments in a relatively short time. I want to write this as an achievement in my resume used to apply to a leadership role.

  Trained 4 newbies to become key contributors

obviously isn't "professional" to be written in a resume. I looked up thesaurus.com for synonyms but the words that I found (freshman, novice, rookie) suffer from the same problem.

What is a good "professional" synonym for newbie?

PS: This is beyond the scope of this question, but if there is a better wording to describe the above achievement (without being overly verbose or obscure), I would like to know it as well.


texts: How to express that I got fined for 50 dollars and lost 5 points from my driving licence?

texts:
Is there a simple sentence that can express the situation that I got a fine ticket for 50 dollars and lost 5 points from my driving licence? Or, how to express the idea 'I was fined for 50 dollars' and 'I lost 5 points from my driving licence'

There is a word endorse , Can I say 'I have my licence endorsed with five penalty points and also got a fine tick of 50 dollars.'


texts: What does "keep the bank on the policy sidelines for now" mean?

texts:
Does it mean "the bank will not implement any policy until later"?

Together with growing -- and highly unfortunate -- political attacks on the central bank and its governor, particularly by members of the pro-Brexit camp, the risk of stagflation is likely to keep the bank on the policy sidelines for now.

source: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-10-31/central-banks-weigh-different-policies-under-similar-constraints


texts: Where to put "is" in the following sentence "Their unique structure (is) among other (is)"?

texts:
I have doubt where to put "is" in the following sentence:

  "Their unique structure is among other due to that they are designed
  for rotation of the skull."

or

  "Their unique structure among other is due to that they are designed
  for rotation of the skull."


texts: Are sliding external doors "French windows"?

texts:
I was trying to translate portafinestra in English, and I think I found the correct term (French window) whose definition seems to match with what I would define portafinestra: "each of a pair of casement windows extending to the floor in an outside wall, serving as a window and door."

Can I call French window those doors that are opened by sliding them? If it is not the right term, what is a term that I could use also for sliding doors facing on an outside wall?


texts:
flagship: the ship that carries the commander of a fleet and flies his flag

Why flagship has anything to do with smartphone?


texts:
I know that it's ok to say "let's begin", "let's get it started"
Does the "let's proceed" have the same meaning"? If not, how can we use it?
Feel free to provide other ways of saying the same. Both formal and informal are welcomed Thanks in advance :)


texts:
I looked up the word "arrange" in some dictionaries to find out how it differs from "place", "locate", "dispose", etc.

According to the dictionaries, it seems that sentences 1 and 2 below I created are correct. I wound like to know whether sentence 3 is correct.

  The drawing shows the arrangement of the room (how the room is arranged).
  The drawing shows the arrangement of the beds in the room (how and where the beds are arranged in the room).
  The drawing shows the arrangement of the bed in the room (how and where the bed is arranged in the room).


texts: I don't understand the use of 'are come'

texts:
I don't understand the use of are come in the following sentence. Please explain it to me. The sentence is from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

  I am glad you are come back, Lizzy.


texts: Can we use Present perfect tense to talk about past?

texts:
In a given linked video (around 1:09) Mom is explaining past to her daughter. But While explaining her she used Present perfect tense in between, why? Is to correct to use?

  Girl: Mom, so why are we white?

  Mom: Well, one day, God was passing through a park, and he noticed the beautiful little black girl sitting alone playing with the white clay. She was trying to make a doll for her to play with. He stopped there to watch her closely. Her beautiful little hands were full of white clay. She has almost painted herself with the white clay, and he was amused to see her. So he decided to make more people and paint them white.


texts: How can I instantly simplify 'The Opposition refused leave for the withdrawal of a motion to annul an Order revoking the embargo'?

texts:
Source: Rebecca Gowers. Plain Words (2014 ed). p. 186 Middle.

  Here
  are two more examples of sentences that have to be unravelled before
  they yield any meaning.

    [1.] The Opposition refused leave for the withdrawal of a motion to
    annul an Order revoking the embargo on the importation of cut glass.

How could've I understood the sentence overhead more hurriedly, and not spend 15 minutes rewriting?
Can 1 be rewritten more precisely and reliability? Mine forsakes details.

1 can be streamlined to:

  Opposition refused leave for the withdrawal of a motion to annul  an Order revoking the embargo [...].

'refuse leave for the withdrawal of' can be regarded as 'uphold'.  So 2 can be simplified to:

  Opposition upheld a motion to annul an Order revoking the embargo.

Upholding a motion to do X, signifies upholding X. So 3 ⇒:

  Opposition upheld annulling an Order revoking the embargo.

You'd uphold to annul X only if you scorn X. So 4 ⇒:

  Opposition scorns an Order revoking the embargo. QED.


texts: Should I use not-British word meanings in the FCE?

texts:
This year I will sit the FCE, a British English exam. I don't know if I should use word meanings that aren't in British vocabulary but are common in other countries.
For instance, the word "grouse". In informal Australian English, it's a synonym for "good, excellent", which is great. However, in the Cambridge Dictionary (British English), it means "to complain" or "a fat bird that is hunted or its meat".
What do you think? Thanks.


texts: Is the usage of "quite" here to emphasize or take away from the adjective?

texts:
link

  The numbers below have been generated using a (quite) simple algorithm.

Is the usage of "quite" above to show that the algorithm is simpler than if he had only written "simple", or harder than if he had only written that?


texts: to join someone in doing something or on doing something

texts:
Would you like to join us in watching the football game tonight?

I want to know which is correct, in or on? Thanks a lot!


texts:
I have ordered a book on the internet but I haven't paid for it yet, I must pay within one week after receiving it. I received it today, shall I email my seller:
"I am paying it in the next few days."?

Is present continuous the best choice as the date of payment has been planned before?


texts:
Does the following use of "how" sound OK?

  We must cut costs how we can.

  I will decorate the room how I want.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase ‘to offer to’?

texts:
I see this sentence in my book: It is very kind of you to offer to collect me from the station.

I can not understand the meaning of the phrase ‘to offer’.


texts: Do we need to put an article after "by"?

texts:
I've encountered many phrases like the following:

It was performed by band the Beatles
It was made by machine
...which was built by architect [name]

So, I guess when we want to state that something came into existence (or something was done to it) by someone, we omit the definite article before that someone, is that right?
Could you please give the exact rule on this topic?


texts:
the example: The people "responsible" for these feats were called Sumerians.

Is "responsible" used correctly in this context?

Are there any exceptions to the rule that would permit the use of adjectives after nouns?


texts: is it correct to say "within its capacity" and "wellbeing/welfare" for the following sentence?

texts:
(context) The sentence I was trying to write is: "I hope each one of us is doing the best, within its capacity, for the wellbeing(welfare) of our friend.".

Is it better to replace "within its capacity" for "..is doing the best he/she can" or something else?

Thanks


texts:
Mia came out on/onto the roof.

Which one of "on" and "onto" is the correct preposition to use here? Is there a more natural to write the sentence?


texts: Help to understand the structure of this sentence

texts:
source

  “I don’t want you to think I’m picking on you because we’re part of
  the master race.

Where to split the sentence?

  I don’t want you to think I’m picking on you, because we’re part of
  the master race.

or

  I don’t want you to think, I’m picking on you because we’re part of
  the master race.

I think the first means "I don't want to pick on you, because we're part of the..."

the second means "I want to pick on you, but the reason is not we're part of the..."

"We" here means "white people" or "He and the female project planner"?


texts: Two examples about the usage of inversion which make me confused

texts:
In the temple of science are many mansions, and various indeed are they that dwell therein and the motives that have led them thither.

This is a sentence from a speech of Albert Einstein. When I first read it, I could hardly recognize what the "they" and "them" refer to, totally confused by the inversions. So I read the context and try to rewrite the inverted sentence, and get this one:

Many mansions are in the temple of science, and people that dwell therein and the motives that have led them thither are various indeed.

Is this right?

And the second example...

  (two characters met in the battle field) Character A:"Good to see you."
  Character B:"Would it were under different circumstances, my friend."

Wow, I can get the meaning but I haven't seen a sentence like this before. I wonder how it works and rewrite it with normal order and make it more complete.

It would (be good) (if that) were under different circumstances.

But "Would it were under different circumstances" still looks very weird for me and I don't know why this sentence would be like this after inversion. Or, did I just do wrong in the rewrite?


texts:
When referring to the lateral directions, my language expresses them as "left and right", for example, as follows:

  Make sure you look left and right before crossing the street.

As far as I know, English expresses them as "right and left", so I am always confused when writing English.

How much the expression "left and right" sound unnatural? Is it unacceptable in formal documents?


texts: Can we really use "Same here" in this context?

texts:
Why do you sing?

  Because I love it. I want everyone to hear my singing.

  Same here.

  Huh?

  I am a cop, because I want to save people.
  Isn't that enough of a reason? It doesn't matter if someone
  acknowledge me or not.

Isn't there a logic gap here? He says "Same here", but "I want to hear everyone to hear my singing" implies she wants to be acknowledged.


texts: How to rewrite a complex comparative sentence into a single sentence.

texts:
As the temperature is higher, the amount of food that my dog eats is
  lesser.

I am trying to rewrite the above sentence into a single sentence.  My draft is as follows:

  The amount of food that my dog eats decreases with an increase in the
  temperature.

Could you advise me on my draft?


texts:
A) Instead of providing a list of reasons that you want him to fail, why don't you...

  B) Instead of providing a list of reasons for which you want him to fail, why don't you...

A) sounds wrong to me; however, if I can say 'the reasons I want him to fail are XYZ', why can't I say A)?

B) sounds correct; however, 'the reasons for which I want him to fail' sounds clunky.

Am I misunderstand something slightly?


texts: Considering her service as a adviser in the local administration, it is fair to say she enjoys a degree of social and academic recognition within the regional community. Such recognition must be complemented with this master to increase the relevance of her work to the local authorities. In turn, these entities can provide the support necessary for her to explore solutions to the cited difficulties.


texts: "This will help us ensure" or "This will help us TO ensure": use of TO with infinitival clauses

texts:
Could you please tell me which sentence correctly uses "to"? I am always a little confused when using "to" in a sentence.

Here, if it is a verb then "to" is required.

  This will help us to ensure that

or

  This will help us ensure that


texts: Difference between Past continuous and Past perfect continuous

texts:
In these following sentences, which one is grammatically correct?

  They were playing football since 10 o'clock.
  They had been playing football since 10 o'clock.

According to this reference link:

  Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express a continued or
  ongoing action that started in past and is continued until sometime in
  past. There will always a time reference like – for a few days, for
  ten months, for 2 years, since Wednesday, since 2011, since January
  etc. If there is no time reference, then it is not a Past perfect
  continuous tense. Without time reference, it is Past Continuous Tense.

But I saw the following example, which has used with time reference.

So, I am confused between past continuous and past perfect continuous. Please someone help me.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is can+have+V3 by some time in future possible?

texts:
I've found some questions here about the can+have+V3 possibility when speaking about possible situations in the past. But there was nothing said about future perfect usage, and I wonder if we can use it to speak about some actions that can become accomplished in the future.

I know that we can use will or may/might in this case, but I feel that the meanings may be slightly different:

I will have done it by tomorrow. - It sounds like a promise to me: I'm quite sure that I will accomplish it today.
I may/might have done it by tomorrow - a possibility: I probably will accomplish it today, but I'm not sure at all
*I can have done it by tomorrow - an ability: I have an opportunity to accomplish it today (but I may not use it)

Is the third sentence possible, and does it all make sense?


texts: "I need more info on this. What is the agenda of the meeting? What do we want to achieve from having this meeting?"

texts:
I was invited to join a meeting and I needed more info about it. I also would like to know the agenda and the expected outcome from the meeting.
I replied the email with something like below

I need more info on this. What is the agenda of the meeting? What do we want to achieve from having this meeting?

I know it sends the message that I wanted to send but it sounds repetitive especially I use the word meeting twice.
How can I phrase this differently so that it does not repeat the work meeting?


texts: What is the difference between "planning" and "scheduling"?

texts:
I was sitting wondering whether there is really a difference between "planning" and "scheduling", especially in terms of doing a project. Like when you have a project, you can plan tasks and write down time and list of actions or you can schedule them and write down time and list of actions.

I can see that definitions say that only "scheduling" conveys writing down time, and planning doesn't. Is that right?


texts:
The sentence from which it came:

  It is estimated that 30 percent of Americans already get their news from Facebook, a percentage which is likely to grow, considering that many young users are turning away from print news.

The original article: http://goo.gl/CcMypt


texts: What is a really good antonym for "improve"?

texts:
I'm a software developer and I'm continually faced with efforts on the part of other developers to "improve" software that I'm involved in maintaining. But from my point of view, often the things they do have the opposite effect on the software.

There is no truly apropos word. "Impoverished" isn't right. "Transform" isn't either. Neither is "transmogify". I need some really much stronger version of "deprove."

"Worsen" isn't really the right word, because that kind of implies that the software was bad to begin with. The reality is a worse tragedy than that, because the software was perfectly good before!
"Destroy" isn't really right, because the software still exists. So the reality is actually worse tragedy than that, because now we have this awful software to contend with. If they'd "destroyed" it, we could build something as good or better.
"Tainted" isn't really right, because that implies it's mostly still perfectly good, it just has some small part of it that is bad, when the reality is that it is now entirely bad.

I need a single word for the act of taking something perfectly good and turning it into something awful. "Monstrousize"? "Frankenate"?

Hey, thanks so much for the responses!

Ok, I'm afraid I let my emotions run away with me and I asked this question badly.

What I'm actually looking for is a word that really functions as a direct opposite for "improve." A word that implies nothing about the initial state or the final state, but only implies something about the direction of the change.

"Ruin", "break", "spoil", etc., all kind of imply good things about the initial state and bad things about the final state. I'm looking for something like "worsen," but even "worsen" kind of implies that the state was bad to begin with. "It's condition was worsened by the changes" could be construed to imply that the condition wasn't great to begin with. "Improve" doesn't imply that the initial state was good or bad, it just comments on the direction of the change.


texts: What is the verb for saying that this person has a defect? Defectify? Is that standard English? We blame someone of having a defect. Please note that here defect refers to some immoral vice or something that isn't liked in the society.


texts:
a. How long does the average dating period last in your country?

b. What is the average length of time for dating in your country?

Are the above sentences grammatical?

Are they natural?

Many thanks.


texts:
In the oral tradition, these types face archetypal predicaments, as is
  true, for example, of the protagonist of Borom Sarrat, who has no name
  and is recognizable instead by his trade-he is a street merchant-and
  by the difficulties he encounters but is unable to overcome.

In this sentence, what does "as is true" means? Is it a popular idiom?

I looked up for idiom "as is true", but there was no idiom like this. Is "as is true" means "like it is the case"? So the whole sentence kinda means

  In the oral tradition,  these types face archetypal predicaments, and it is also the case for the protagonist of Borom Sarrat. The protagonist also go through some archetypal predicaments (or hardships).


texts:
Source.

  Zec can't allow any "loose ends" at any level, and if anyone refuses
  to accept that,  or can't demonstrate their "rareness" to do what's
  necessary to survive, then they will be killed.

What is the meaning of this sentence from Jack Reacher synopsis?


texts: A comparison between "aptitude", "wisdom" and "understanding"

texts:
Please imagine a person who lacks quite common sense and often acts in silly ways in various conditions. They have a low aptitude and wisdom and in general a dumb guy who can be easily considered an imbecile. Once when as usual the guy in our question upsets someone else, the annoyed one goes to someone who knows the guy and relates the whole story. The third person gets angry and wants to tell something about the guy. I have translated it to English. Please have a look on it and then let me know if it is natural. If not, then please let me know how a native speaker would say the same thing:

  He is stupid. Don’t get upset. One cannot expect him more than this.

  This is his understanding degree.

  This is his aptitude degree.

  This is his wisdom degree.

Searching a lot, I didn't find any better words rather than the above listed ones to indicate the same message as we use in our language, but I doubt which one shall be used here to sound natural or are they natural at all or not?


texts:
Would you write:

  Did they continue seeing each other?

or

  Were they continue seeing each other?


texts: "We'd known each other too long for hard feelings." Is a correct sentence?

texts:
In Longman Dictionary (19) is the following sentence example:

  We'd known each other too long for hard feelings.

The sentence doesn't sound natural to me.  It sounds incomplete at the end. There should be at the end of the sentence the to-infinitive "to exist". Am I correct? Are my sentences below that follow this pattern wrong?

  We'd known each other too long for hard feelings to exist.
  I have known him very well for misunderstandings to occur.
  The society is very stable and united for a chaos/breakdown to
  ensue.


texts:
I have a sentence:

  I am fascinated by traveling, but I did not imagine that I could go to
  as far as America

Or

  I am fascinated by traveling, but I did not imagine that I could go as
  far as America