texts:
English has a great range of terms in different areas. I was thinking whether there are names (words,terminology) to speak about different kings of cargo.

For instance, farm animals like cows, sheep, chicken, horses and etc. we can categorise as livestock.

What about equipment and tools?
What about food, drinks and other beverages and fruit, vegetables?
What about weaponry, suits, night-vision goggles, helmets, grenades and ammunition?
What about medicine, vials, bandages and different healing tools?
What about plants, flowers, different trees?
What about oxygen, hydrogen, different chemicals and substances?
What about living organisms and specimens and test subjects?

Is there a word for each category or maybe some grouping words used in transportation?


texts:
I understand "masks pockets of weakness" as "stops entering into the pockets of the poor or vulnerable."  Am I on the right track?

The overall resilience of China’s economy, though, masks pockets of weakness.
Source: NYTimes   Most Major Economies Are Shrinking. Not China’s.


texts: How to reference different kinds of lines and markers?

texts:
Consider the below figure ( The Figure is an example that I drew it)

Questions:

I know the the lines 1 and 2 can be referenced as "solid line" and "dashed line", respectively.

However, the question is how should I reference the the line number 3 ? I came up with two phrases,"dashed and doted line", "doted and dashed line". Are these concocted phrases correct ? If no, any suggestion would be appreciated. In general, is there any source that I can use to learn to how reference such a things ?

The next question is: when the lines are accompanied with markers, How these Markers can be referenced ? I came up with "empty" and "filled" for the examples 4 and 5, respectively. Are these phrases OK? If no, may I know your comments ?


texts: It has the responsibility of integrating with a provider

texts:
I am reading some documentation made by non-english speakers.

  This script has the responsibility of integrating with a sale provider
  and converting its entities to our entities

I am not a native english speaker either, but it sounds weird to me. How would an actual native speaker say this?


texts: Meaning of a sentence from a self help book of Orison Swett Marden

texts:
I'm not a native English speaker and cannot get the full meaning of this part of Orison Swett Marden's self help book "Pushing to the front":

"How hard I worked at that tremendous shorthand, and all improvement
appertaining to it," said Dickens. "I will only add to what I have
already written of my perseverance at this time of my life, and of a
patient and continuous energy which then began to be matured."

It is in the chapter 23 which is entitled "The reward of persistence".


texts:
I have this sentence:

  The world knows how you feel.

You can change the world with it: It knows how you feel.

So it is right, because if you use The world know how you feel. and then you replace with it: It know how you feel.

But what about this one:

  Let the world know how you feel

or

  Let the world knows how you feel.

Should it be let it knows or let it know? Why, is that a third person?


texts: Word for someone who changes hobbies constantly

texts:
I have a friend who seems to adopt new hobbies on a weekly basis. As in, "I would really like to get in to knife throwing, let me buy a knife for that," and then abandons the idea a week later. There is no particular theme to these hobbies: it can be anything from card counting to hatchet throwing.
Words like "indecisive" don't seem to fit exactly, because he is very decisive once he sets his mind on something. He is not incapable of making a decision; he is incapable of sticking to a decision.
Is there a word to describe someone like this?


texts:
Which form is correct in expressions like this:
1) team's size
or
2) team size?

And a similar one: 1) actual period length or 2) actual period's length.

Is there any rule?


texts: Are the parts in bold examples of relative clauses?

texts:
I have these two sentences as examples:

They seem a little concerned about the direction [that] we're taking.

If I'm not mistaken, about the direction we're taking is an adverb prepositional phrase because it modifies the adjective concerned, and prepositional phrases can have multiple elements inside it.

The thing [that] I wish for most is that people would all just get along.

Now the focus on the subject, so I wish for most seems to be describing the thing.
Are both of these parts of the sentence relative clauses because of how they modify and follow nouns? If so, a that could be introducing them, right?


texts: What is the difference between "I have eaten" and "I have finished eating"?


texts: I should have done this. VS I should have been to do this

texts:
I should have done this.
  I should have been done this.
  I should have been to do this.

I have not too much idea about english but I want to know that, grammatically above sentences are correct or not? Please someone let me know.


texts:
I can't come to the office today due to some personal reason.

https://www.englishpage.net/showthread.php?14817-I-can-t-come-to-the-office-today-due-to-some-personal-reason

Coming to the office is a verb so it will take the adverbial prepositional phrase "because of". As far as I think.


texts:
I know if a subject is singular and we're talking about something that is continuous we put an "s" after end like:

  This is what the suffering ends in.

But what if the subject is plural? Like:

  This is what winter streets end in.

Is my sentence correct?


texts: Is there a verb for a town made into a city?

texts: How would this sentence be completed? "It was a small town but in 2005, the government  __ it into  a city". I can only think of "made into" but that doesn't seem very right and I think there is a verb for governments 'declaring' it a city.


texts: Can I use 'does' at the end of a question?

texts:
So I was wondering if the correct phrase for asking a question is "what does it does/do?" Then it struck me that it feels odd to say "what does it does". Then I did some Googling and apparently the correct phrase is "what does it do?"

But my question is why does it uses 'do' at the end of the question? I mean, the subject in question is an 'it', so shouldn't it use 'does' instead of 'do'? Can't we use 'does' to end a question? or am I missing something?


texts: Meaning of Sentence Using Is/Are or Exist?

texts:
What is the exact meaning of sentences with and without is and are?
Please explain the example below.

  a) At least we will come to know how many trees "are" exist in
  the town.

  b) At least we will come to know how many trees exist in the
  town.

Please, help me to understand the verb exist with the examples:

Is the structure of the sentence "We are exist and others are living" correct?


texts: Looking for a phrase describing aggregate tax inflow into different-level budgets

texts:
The project will cost about USD 1 billion of investment money. It will result in the creation of over 200 new jobs in Yekaterinburg, and will generate an estimated RUB 2 billion of annual tax inflows at different administrative levels.

Is "at different administrative levels" a good phrase for stating that the taxes will be collected partly on the minicipal level, partly on the regional level, and partly on the federal level?

The tax system in Russia is three-tier, and there is a kind of stock phrase "бюджеты различных уровней" (budgets of different levels) used in journalism. This or that project will bring a particular aggrate inflow into "budgets of different levels".

Multitran offers several translations for this stock phrase, but I tried to come up with a different one.

  Multitran's translations: different level budgets (MichaelBurov); various level budgets (MichaelBurov); budgets of various levels (MichaelBurov) different treasuries (AD Alexander Demidov); public coffers (Alexander Demidov)


texts: minus 1500, there are only 12pcs on hand

texts:
Is it correct that I use "minus" in this way to mean taking an amout from a total.

Minus 1500, there are only 12 pcs on hand.


texts: What do you call a sole that's not "filled"?

texts:
The shoes has a sole with a lot of gaps unlike most shoes that have a sole that's filled. What the adjective for saying there's no gap or empty space, and what's the adjective for saying the exact opposite?

For example:

  The sole of my shoe was ___.


texts: The population of the world increases every day / Permanent situations

texts:
The population is increasing very fast

We use the present continuous when we talk about changes happening around now - so this sentence should be correct.

But what if I say this?

  The population increases every day

I can't use present continuous, right? Because of "every day"

  This week I am having a lot of work

  This week I have a lot of work

Even though we are talking about a permanent situation, the verb to have is non-progressive in this case so we should use the present simple, right? But I have seen a lot of sentences such as

  "I am having a party today"

The verb have is non-progressive in this sentence so why people tend to use the present continuous?


texts: "Do you think he can still be alive?", "Can" used for probability, or what?

texts:
I came across these sentences in a learner's dictionary (see examples for sense 3a) today:

Do you think he can still be alive? [= do you think it is possible that he is still alive.]
I don't think he can still be alive. [= I think he must be dead.]

Since the second one is negative, it's probably not wrong, as it's pretty much a paraphrase of I think he can't still be alive. and can't can be used with the sense of 0% probability, i.e. can't = I'm  certain it's not true.
The Problem
From what I've known and what I've read, could, but not can, is usually used this way to indicate probability either in the present or the future, as in he coud be in the garden.
As for possibility, can can only be used to tell general possibilities/truths (It can be rainy here during September.) or the possibility in a particular situation (We can go to Paris this weekend, since we don't have to work).
What I Think & What I've Tried Doing
I think the first one should read

Do you think he could still be alive?

and probably even the second one should read

I don't think he could still be alive.

However, it seemed strange to me (who is a non-native) when I replaced could with may in the first sentence, which is usually possible when talking about probability.

*Do you think he may still be alive?

I also noticed that

Do you think he is still alive?

seemed more natural.
The Questions

What is can doing there?
In what context is can used like this?
Can could do the job too?

Note

I'm talking about using can and could in the present here. (This may lead to varying answers if I don't make this clear, I think)

Please, please avoid the word "possible" where possible. If you're going to use it, please make it clear what kind of "possible" you mean: generally possible (he can be hard at times), possible in the situation (we can go to Paris this weekend because we don't have to work), possible as in probability (he could be in the car.)


texts:
I responded to five questions of my five colleagues, who arrived suddenly at my office then I solved two essentials crisis.
I was exhausted all the day at work, however, I don't feel that I realize something at all.


texts: Ïs "of every" grammatically wrong? I thought it was Old English

texts:
Beauty is a feast for the eyes of every.

I'd thought it was Old English. But, someone said it's downright ungrammatical and isn't Old English.

  Beauty is a feast for the eyes of every person / everyone.

I wanted to sound like Shakespeare and because it's a riddle, mysterious words help.


texts:
Iam asking about the verb have when using it as possessing matter.
I know the verb (has) comes with he,she,it and the verb (have) comes with I, you, we, they.

Now,why we say; he has a car, and we say in the question, does he have a car?

My question why not say, does he has a car?

Also, which sentence  is correct?

  Does he has the responsibility of the accident.
  Does he have the responsibility of the accident


texts: Using "which" instead of "that", one out of two : could a reader see this?

texts:
I am trying to write a scientific paper in English, with a colleague, but we can not agree on the usage of "which" with respect to "that": he systematically used "which" in place of "that"! When reading the paper, I admit it is understandable, but at the same time the repetition seems strange (while "that" sounds OK to me).

What is the difference that makes me uncomfortable with "which"? What is the underlying intention of an author when he uses "which"?

As an example:

  We present a model which shows...

(correct but "that" sounds simpler for me, and better).

Am I wrong? Any idea? And what if I suddenly decide to apply "which" in one sentence out of two ? Could a reader see this ?


texts: "Just to clarify" vs "just For clarify" vs "just for clarification"

texts:
I'd like to know what of the following phrases is appropriate in this scenario:
I meet someone that talks to me about programming languages (computers) and based on that I think that he assume that I'm a programmer too. Then I have to choose one between the following:

  Just to clarify, I'm not a programmer.
  just for clarify, I'm not a programmer.
  just for clarification, I'm not a programmer.

Which one is correct, if any?


texts:
Do both these sentences mean the same?

  This type of economic policy can be harmful for a nation.
  This type of economic policy can be harmful for any nation.


texts: Do I need to put a second article after "and" in the sentence "I am a songwriter and author."?


texts:
Is this correct?

Snacks is on me!

confused on the whether "snacks" should be in singular or plural form.


texts:
I can not comprehend the usage of has had in the following sentence.

The party has had no qualms about polarizing electorate along the religious lines.


texts:
Can I use article “the” with the word “knowledge” as shown in following 2 cases:

XX, (20005) use the knowledge about the human body for the segmenting of anatomical structures from medical image.
The aim is to solve these tasks by using the knowledge about the information of anatomical structures into the segmentation process.


texts: What does "of its members" refer to in this context?

texts:
Below is an excerpt from a newspaper column.

The impact of the restrictions is substantial. A recent survey
conducted by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan
of its members showed that 78 percent of them regard the entry ban as a significant burden to their businesses. In addition, 79
percent of the affected companies say their turnover is endangered
because ongoing projects cannot be completed and new projects cannot
be initiated.

I'm wondering what the "of its members" refer to in this context?


texts: What is the difference between "open" and "open up"

texts:
The question has already been asked but with a different context and therefore the answers do not answer my question.

Example:

  "Open your eyes" - Title of one of Guano Apes' songs

  "Open up your eyes" - From song "Politik" by ColdPlay

Is there any difference in meaning or is it just a matter of choice?


texts: What is the meaning of the perfect participle clause 'anyone having touched this wire...'

texts:
Anyone touching this wire will get a shock.

I know here the participle clause means 'anyone who touches this wire..'.
My question is, if I'd use perfect participles(having touched)  instead of touching,
like,

Anyone having touched this wire will get a shock.

what does here having touched mean?
( Does it mean like,'Anyone who has touched this wire.. or After anyone has touched this wire he(she) will get a shock.?)


texts: If golden describes something that has the appearance of gold, why "golden paper" sounds odd?

texts:
I am trying hard to understand how to properly determine the difference.

A gold watch. --A watch that is made of gold
A golden watch --A watch that looks like and could be made of gold

But why then I cannot use the same logic for the following:

A gold T-Shirt -- why not golden?
A shirt with gold stripes --why not golden? They look like gold but they are not

wrapped in gold and silver paper. -- the same problem

How would you perceive it if I used golden instead?


texts: How to capitalize at the beginning of a sentence a word that has a fixed capitalization?

texts:
When asking a question on another SE site, it was brought to my attention that the airline company easyJet is spelled with a lowercase e and a capital J (I initially wrote EasyJet).
How should such a word be capitalized at the beginning of a sentence:

EasyJet is an airline.

or

easyJet is an airline.


texts:
The sentence is

  The periodic table proposed by Mendeleev was the culmination of many observations and discoveries — but, like every culmination, this end was also a beginning.

I learnt that the dash is used to indicate a parenthetical element and that it is to be used in pairs. When only one is used, is it still to indicate a parenthetical element or is it something else?


texts: Is "It's the worst thing we can do before we went to sleep" correct?

texts:
I heard (and read on subtitles) the sentence in a TED talk.
I think the sentence should be "It's the worst thing we can do before we go to sleep" and I don't understand why the past tense of go is used.


texts: How is "a great many" grammatical?Many being modified by great in this case is something I have never heard before. I would say "wrote a great number of plays" or "wrote a lot of plays", maybe even "wrote very (adverb) many plays" although this is already something that I would look to avoid but "a great many plays" sounds very strange.


texts:
I've read on the Internet that the gerund is a form of the verb, which serves to indicate an action in the Present Perfect Tense in English and Spanish.

What is the real meaning of the gerund in English?

In our country, we're taught that the gerund is the mixture of a verb and a noun.

Is that right?


texts: I am not sure if it is alright vs I am not sure if it will be all right?

texts:
I understand that 'alright' is used in the same meaning and the context as 'all right', but is there a difference in meaning between those two sentences?

'I am not sure if it is all right'
'I am not sure, if it will be all right'

Can anyone elaborate on this one for me?


texts:
I'm doing an exercise from an ESL book where I need to choose the correct collocation. Here's the bit I'm confused about:

  Since I decided to become an architect, I've put a lot of effort into following my dreams. I've had to overcome a lot of setbacks along the way to gain expertise in my field. If I'm going to reach / achieve my aims, I will have to seize every opportunity that comes up.

The answer key says that I have to choose "achieve", "to achieve my aims". That's OK to me, but at the same time I don't understand why we can't choose "reach" here as well, especially since "to reach a goal" sounds like a regular collocation and "goal" and "aim" are synonyms. So here are my questions:

Can we also choose "reach" here?
If yes, do both versions of the sentence sound equally natural?
If no, is there an explanation why we can't choose "reach" in this
case?


texts:
Can anyone explain the difference between using first one and first, when referencing nouns from a previous sentence? Consider the following two cases:

  Case 1:
  There are two primary noise source categories.
  The first represents the intrinsic noise, while the second refers to ...

  Case 2:
  There are two primary noise source categories.
  The first one represents the intrinsic noise, while the second one refers to ...

Are both proper ways of referencing the two categories of noise source?


texts:
I am writing a thesis and the title goes like this:

  "Interaction of Proteins with Small Molecules and Peptides"

I studied the interactions of various different proteins with various different small molecules and peptides. For example I studied the interactions of protein A with small molecule A and small molecule B; and then interactions of protein B with peptide A and small molecule C and so on. Therefore, in the title proteins mean protein in general and small molecules indicate small molecule in general.

So, will it be better if I write:

  "Interactions of Protein with Small Molecule and Peptide"

Or should I use all plural:

  "Interactions of Proteins with Small Molecules and Peptides"

Does the above mentioned fragment sounds good as a title? Should I use something like "Studies on" on the beginning? Can "Studies on" be implicit?


texts: John's brother as well as I / I as well as John's brother ___ guilty of cheating Jason

texts:
John's brother as well as I (a) / am guilty (b) of cheating Jason.(c)

This is an error spotting question asked in my exam, a friend told me that part B is wrong, he suggested to replace am with is , I agree that the helping Verb should agree with the subject preceding as well as but I suspect that that part A is wrong . The mistake is placement of first person pronoun. We usually follow rule of 2 3 1  ( 2 = second person 3 = third person 1 = first person ) in normal sentence but in sentences where the essence of sentence is somewhat negative such as we are talking responsibility for some wrong doing for something like that the rule becomes 1 2 3 .So going by this knowledge which I have the correct sentence should be I as well as John's brother am guilty of cheating Jason. Am I correct ?


texts: Can I say "it" before what it indicates?

texts:
1) When/if/once the system meets the functional specifications, the agency has
  to announce it.

  2) The agency has to announce it, when/if/once the system meets the functional
  specifications.

Are these two sentences interchangeable?

I'm not sure if I can use "it" before what it indicates.
In those sentences, I used it as "the system meets the functional specification".


texts: Palm tree fruit: green, , hazelnut-like dates

texts:
Generally, a palm tree fruit goes through three phases: green and inedible; yellow and absolutely edible; hazelnut-like and very sweet.

When you hear the word dates, you right away think of the the sweet, third phase date, soft and tasty. However, the hard and yellow fruit is just as good fruit as the soft, sweet one. So what do you call the fruit when it is yellow?


texts: What does "ever-evolving" mean in these 2 contexts?

texts:
When googling it, I didn't find any definition, especially in Wordnik , abbreviation , or word hippo. I suppose it may have the same meaning of ever-changing which means constantly changing, according to oxford dictionary because Google suggested it in the search page other than ever-evolving and evolve.

  Slang is ever-evolving, and terms can grow outdated.
  My ever evolving definition of success.

Thanks.


texts:
Given all this uncertainty, it is tempting to conclude that it is too early for predictions, and call the election a virtual toss-up. That is the view of bettors, who currently make Mr Biden a bare 55-45 favourite. Yet a hard look at the data and at history suggests that this is too generous to Mr Trump. The Economist’s first-ever statistical forecast of an American presidential race, which we launch this week and will update every day until the election, gives Mr Biden an 82% chance of victory.

link :　https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/06/11/meet-our-us-2020-election-forecasting-model
My question is:
"and call the election a virtual toss-up.", is it a compound structure to "to conclude", or a parenthesis to " it is too early for predictions"?

it is tempting to conclude .. , and it is tempting to call ..?
it is too early for prediction, and it is too early to call..?


texts: Past simple or present perfect in these sentences

texts:
I have tried to order this book, but it did not work out that way

or

I have tried to order this book, but it has not worked out that way

I don't think that the former is correct, because the past simple excludes the present, so the form "does not work" will be more appropriate here.


texts: Not using the common preposition of a verb

texts:
Consider:

Table 1 shows the number of rules required to extract the main article for each website.

vs.

Table 1 shows the number of rules required to extract the main article from each website.

From is the common preposition for "extract", while for is also meaningful as we can say it shows X for each Y. Then sometimes I don't know which is better to be used!
Other examples:

Moreover, removing distracting parts from/on a web page can enhance the page readability
For a simpler task such as extracting the main articles from/on/in/of a news website, the features they provide can be excessive.


texts:
I was reading a story called "The Journey to Hanford" in a book titled "Great American Stories 1" by "C. G. Draper".

In that story, I found the expression "You will read in a book that..." about three times. But to me, a non-native English speaker (an English learner), I find confusing the use of that expression and was wondering if its use is correct.

Here is the context:

Example 1:

  "I won't have him singing all day," my grandfather roared. "Some
  things simply have to stop, in the end. You will read in a book
  that a father loves a foolish son more than his wise sons. Believe
  me, that writer is not married, and also he has no sons."

Example 2:

  "Away with him and his zither both," my grandfather said. "You will
  read in a book that a man can sit all day under a tree and play
  music on a zither and sing. Believe me, that writer is a fool. Money,
  that's the thing. Let him go and The Journey to Hanford work under the
  sun for a while. In the watermelons. Him and his zither both."

Example 3:

  "Foolish words!" my grandfather said. "You will read in a book
  that a man who sings is truly a happy man. But that writer is a
  dreamer, not a businessman in a thousand years. Let him go. It is
  twenty-seven miles to Hanford. That is a very good distance."

If it's correct, is it really expressing future? What kind of future?

I have never heard that expression before. I don't think it's really expressing the future. I can't find it anywhere neither in a book (except the one when I found it) nor on the internet.

I would expect something like "You may/might read in a book that" instead. So I would expect something expressing possibility or the past tense.


texts:
What is the difference between

  He has been working here for some time.

and

  He has been working here for some times.

Is it correct to say for sometimes? I seached a lot, but I did not find an answer at all.


texts: Is the "When we said ..., it could be" a hypothesis? Is it necessary?

texts:
An ELL post asks about the meaning of the sentence "She ran up the stairs two at a time" this way

  When we said "She ran up the stairs two at a time.", it could be ...

I guess "When we said" used here is meant to be a sign of hypothesis. But is it necessary to use hypothesis? How about a simpler one?

  When we say ..., we might mean ...

or

  Does the sentence ... mean ...

Is the original one more fancier?


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the preposition "on" here:

  His six touchdowns on the season lead the team and Smith's 446 yards receiving are second most on the Ravens.

I cannot find a dictionary definition that would fit this usage of "on".  Could this usage be  sports jargon?  Would using "for" be better for laymen?


texts: "A username and password {is / are} required"

texts:
I thought that the use of is/are was determined by whether or not the noun was singular or plural.  But also, I'm awful at these things.

username is singular.
password is singular.

But we are saying a 'username and password' - in my mind, this is two things.  Plural, right?

I thought the correct word choice would be 'are'.

However, when I search for both phrases Google returns 82k results when the phrase uses 'are', but 189k when the phrase uses 'is'.  That seems to strongly suggest I'm wrong and that it should be 'is'.

Can someone help me understand?


texts:
The leader created a term which the members of their group would use to describe people who had never contributed to the community.

The infinitive clause " to describe people ... to the community" confuses me.
What is the function of the infinitive in this context and what are the possible interpretations?

I think there are three possibilities here, but I am not sure which is correct.

1)Is the infinitive an adverb modifying the verb "created" ,

Then it probably might mean that: The leader created a term in order to describe those people.

Can it possibly be interpreted this way?

2)or is it part of the relative clause leads by "which" and modify the verb "use", making it an adverb or a complement?

Then it means: the members of their group would use the term created by the leader to describe those people.

3)or the infinitive is an adjective modifying the noun "term", which adds extra information to the "term"

Then it means: the leader created a term which describes those people.


texts: various ways of asking someone to go out for dinner

texts:
Do these following sentences sound natural to an English native speaker?

  let's go out for dinner sometimes soon
  Let’s go have dinner sometimes soon
  Let’s get together and have dinner sometimes soon
  Let’s go grab dinner sometimes soon

Specifically, I know colloquially we use grab to mean that we eat something, but does it also apply to the occasion where we need to sit down for a nice dinner?

Thanks.


texts: How do you say "patio de vecinos" in English?

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe a configuration in which the back faces of several edifices belonging to the same building form an inner space where neighbours can hang out or put their clothes on the line to dry, and which is generally inaccesible to people not living in the building. At least some windows of each flat face this zone, and neighbours (stereotypically, busybody fish-wives) lean out of them to gossip, chatter or just while the time away.

A few examples of what I mean are this:

this, this or even this.

But definitely not this or this:

I found common courtyard, but from Google images I don't get the feeling this is the right word.

Is "common courtyard" accurate? How could I describe such idea otherwise?


texts:
Example with a context (Vox news story: The real costs of Donald Trump’s anti-Mexican slur controversy, explained):
1:

Liberal Latino and immigration advocacy groups, on the other hand, are happy to treat Trump as a serious Republican candidate, for the purposes of demanding that other Republicans and the RNC distance themselves from him. They're treating Trump as the Republican id: He expresses racist feelings that some liberals suspect many Republicans secretly harbor but lack the cojones to say out loud.

2:

Left-leaning Latino and immigration advocates treat Trump as the id of white conservatives, saying things that Ted Cruz, for example, wouldn't say.

How do you exactly understand this type of figure of speech?


texts:
In recent days,I found myself not knowing the word"not" at all,and this really makes many misunderstanding for me. Therefore, there are two questions about "not".

  Emma:You must be happy that you didn't fail your important exam yesterday.

  Anna: Absolutely……not. The fact is that I'm "very happy" not just "happy".

One of the most common definition of "not" in my dictionary is "used in order to make a word or expression have tge opposite meaning".

Thus,one question is "Can I use the word "not" like the sentence Anna says?". In other words, can I use the word "not" to emphasize the difference of the degree rather than the opposite meaning?

The another is ,Why does "not a bit" mean "little" and "not a little" mean "much"? Are they idioms?

After all,"a little" and "a bit" are the similar phrase to mean "some".


texts:
Please suppose someone has died very suspiciously an police have fallen into doubt if it was a murder. Does the bold part of the following self-made sentence sound natural to you:

  The police are investigating that individual’s death reason.

For me, it works. I would be thankful if someone could let me know whether there is a more natural way of expressing the structure "an individual's death reason".


texts: After looking up every definition I could find in the internet, I still don't know what 'faculty institute' actually is. Here the link http://cet.usc.edu/new-faculty-institute/, is it an event or a seminar?


texts: What's the grammar of "What was it you said?"?

texts:
"Zootopia" around 00:40:49/01:48:32

  Scene 17: Running the Plate

  [Judy and Nick leave the Oasis; Nick turns to Judy, straightening his tie]

  Nick Wilde: Well, I had a ball. You are welcome for the clue, and seeing as how any moron can run a plate, I will take that pen and bid you adieu. [holds out his hand for the pen]

  Judy Hopps: The plate. I can't run a plate. Ooh... I'm not in the system yet.

  Nick Wilde: [impatient] Give me the pen, please...

  Judy Hopps: [turns to Nick, smiling slyly] What was it you said? "Any moron can run a plate"? Gosh, if only there were a moron around who were up to the task.

(http://zootopia.wikia.com/wiki/Zootopia/Transcript)

Is "you said" the (by the way, should I use "an" instead of "the"?) appositive clause of "it"?

Or is "it" introductory and "you said" the logical subject?

How about "What was it what you said?"?


texts: What is the meaning of "log" in "hours logged"?

texts:
I read this here:

  The hours logged in class, and the hours logged on schoolwork can lead to students feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated.

What exactly the verbs "log in" or "log on" mean above? What they mean to me doesn't fit there.


texts:
I would be grateful to know how suffix -al affects the meaning of an adjective, i.e. music - musical or academic - academical?
Specific rules are informative, but I want to see the whole picture.


texts: What is the word used to express "investigating someone without their knowledge"?

texts:
What I mean is this. Police suspects someone living at a house is running an illegal operation from there. So, they mount a base on a house across the street and from there they observe the suspect, take pictures, etc. The operation can be simple as two cops on a car, from a distance, observing the suspect, 24h.
How do you say:

the cops are doing a _________________ operation

I am talking about the act of doing it hidden.
For example, you have sting operations, where you deploy a bait car to catch thieves, or an undercover operation where you infiltrate a gang, for example. What about this kind of hidden observing a suspect?
I am sure I have heard that a million times on movies, but I cannot remember.


texts: Past tense vs Present perfect vs Past Perfect tense difference in usage

texts:
He worked for me for eight years

He ** has worked** for me for eight years

He had worked for me for eight years

What is the difference in meaning between these three sentences?


texts:
In Greyhound (2020), Eagle gives her ship status report:

We have a five-degree list at starboard, and we're down at the stern,
but we'll tow all right up to five knots. We have a flap of plate
sticking up, scooping in the sea. The list gets worse if we make any
speed.

What does "scooping in" mean? I know "scoop up" means but "scoop in" is different.


texts: This is a hard one. Level scaling means the enemies in a video game scales with the player. What's the antonym of that term? I would prefer it if it was one word and it didn't contain the word scaling.


texts:
I encountered this lightbulb joke today, but I can’t figure out why it is funny:

  Q: How many flies does it take to screw in a light bulb?
  A: Two, but I don't know how they got in there.

My best guess is that this is a play on the meaning of the word “screw”, suggesting that the flies are flying in circles inside the bulb, but I could not find this meaning in the dictionary.


texts: 'Curve B rises comparatively gently than Curve A does.' - Is this a correct sentence

texts:
This is my first time to be here, and so excited to find here I can rise the questions.
I am learning writing now, and makes me very confused at times.
And is my question, I wonder if this is a correct sentence without any grammar mistakes. Looking forward to someone can help me. A big thank you in advance.
'Curve B rises comparatively gently than Curve A does.'


texts: The subject in "How much information is created daily?"

texts:
How much information is created daily?

If the subject is only implied in this sentence, why do we need the auxiliary verb (is) in this sentence?


texts:
"You know what could be in there?" said Luna eagerly, as the wall started to spin yet again.

  "Something blibbering, no doubt," said Hermione under her breath ...

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I can't find the definition of the word 'blibbering' in any dictionaries. What does it mean?


texts: James went to the campus cafe. Is went transitive or intransitive verb? campus cafe is direct object so it should be but it isn't. Why?

texts: What I observe is campus cafe is a direct object, it receives the action, went is an action verb so it should be transitive. But here: http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/intransitiveverb.htm it says it is intransitive. Can someone explain what is my mistake?


texts:
Does "set up" here informally mean "to cause (a person) to be blamed or accused"?

Newsmax host Grant Stinchfield played a clip of Fisher’s reporting in setting up the Trump attorney.
“Jenna, I don’t know what’s going on with Fox News, but they just called Mayor Rudy Giuliani a liar. Your reaction?” he said.
“Well, unfortunately for Kristin Fisher, she doesn’t understand how the legal process works and that was, frankly, embarrassing for her,” Ellis replied.

Source: Business and Politics


texts: What does "the least possible value" mean?

texts:
I was working on a GMAT question:

  The least possible value for the mean of the numbers of hours of TV reported for the week is [choices].

It a single choice question. But in the phrase "the least possible value" which word does least modify? possible or value?

If it modifies possible, it means the value that is the most impossible. If it modifies value, it means the least value among all possible ones. Which one does the phrase actually mean?


texts:
Some people believe that children should learn how to be
  respectable members of society from their parents.

Would there be a grammatical problem if "how" was omitted?


texts:
I can't understand the difference between "ledger-bait" and "bait". Please, what is the difference between these two words?

If I want to use an animal to lure one huge animal out of its cave, what word should I use?

I was looking for a translation of the Russian word "наживка" and several dictionaries provided me with "ledger-bait" and "bait". Now, I remember that I know the second word as a translation to the Russian word "приманка". However, I am not familiar with the word "ledger-bait". Trying to look for "ledger" ended up with synonyms for tombstone, groundsel, main book, and crossbeam.

I am confused.


texts:
I've distributed a total of 400 flyers today.

Is the above sentence grammatically correct? I need to report the number of flyers I have distributed every day but I'm unsure if the sentence is correct


texts: have or having after preposition with two objects

texts:
I'm doubtful whether to use the gerund form or the base form of have in the following sentence:

  He's afraid of being debunked in public and have/having his reputation ruined.

I would choose having as the correct option if I had to, because it acts as the object of the preposition of--He's afraid of being debunked in public and (consequently, he's afraid of) having his reputation ruined. However, have sounds more natural to me.

Which would be grammatically correct in the context of the example above: having or have? Is it common to use have in these types of sentences in informal speech?


texts: be careful that-clause and be careful wh-clause

texts:
I'll be more careful what I say in the future.
We were very careful that he didn't find out.

The that-clause in sentence 2 is a complement of the adjective careful. The wh-clause in sentence 1 seems to be a noun phrase, rather than an embedded question, which I'm not sure of. Either way, I think the wh-clause serves a similar purpose as the th-clause does.
My question is, why is there no preposition governing the wh-clause?


texts: be located in New York vs locate in New York?

texts:
He was working in Chicago for many years, but he is currently located in New York.

What does the second part (in bold) of the sentence mean? Does it mean that "he currently lives in New York" or "he currently works in New York?  If it is the former, I think it should be "he currently locates in New York." Or both "He locates in New York" and "He is located in New York" mean "he lives in New York"?


texts: Hyphen usage with 'off-limits'/'off limits'

texts:
I have seen both 'off-limits' and 'off limits' used in the same context. A thing that is off(-)limits is forbidden to be used or otherwise restricted to only some people's usage from my understanding.
I'm asking if I should use a hyphen or not.


texts:
(1) This has caused a lot of damage to the environment. This damage leads to a loss of biodiversity.
(2) This has caused a lot of damage to the environment, which leads to a loss of biodiversity.
(3) This has caused a lot of damage to the environment, leading to a loss of biodiversity.
Sentence (3) seems to lack the relative pronoun 'which' (compare to (2)). Is (2) supposed to be better than (3), or is (3) correct too?


texts:
You see Martian paintings and you wonder what the painter was like.

could someone make me understand why writer not use how in place of what?


texts:
The success of the battle marked the turning point in the civil war.

In this sentence, why not use ‘mark’ instead of ‘marked’?

I think it should use ‘mark’ because this thing is a objective thing. It marked/marks/will mark the turning point.


texts: What does “ get off relatively lightly” mean in this sentence?

texts:
This is a sentence from a report in the Economist.

  Children who rebel may be threatened with being sent to stay with family in China, and they know from relations there that teenagers in America, even Asian ones, get off relatively lightly compared with those in China.

What does “get off relatively lightly” mean in this sentence?


texts: Question about the meaning of the words "would" & "meet a stranger" & "grow old laughing"

texts:
My friends would say that I never meet a stranger and I have fun where ever I go. Life is too short to not love what you are doing.  I want to find my best friend that I can share my life with and grow old laughing together!

When she says my friends would say, is this talking about the past — it was her friends' habit to say — or is this just use of the word would to show that someone is expressing their opinion like "I would say" or something like that?
When saying grow old laughing and meet a stranger, are these idioms?


texts: What verb can I use to mean "cause financial costs"?

texts:
I'm trying to describe (very succinctly) the financial impact of a given scenario. If it happens, it will cost money.

What is the right verb to describe this? My first thought is to cause financial costs, but it doesn't sound entirely right.


texts: How to pronounce a new word like an English native speaker?

texts:
It occurs to me all the time, when I encounter a new word like a name/surname (say, SUE VERTUE) I ask myself, how do English native speakers know what to pronounce this new word even if they've never heard of it before?
Accordingly, I thought there must be a sort of knowledge to help gaining such an ability.

Therefore, here the question arises is: How we as ESL/EFL people could learn about it and what materials/knowledge could be helpful throughout obtaining it?


texts:
Should I say :
1-My hair was uneven for years.
2-My hair had been uneven for years.
For sure I'm talking about a past time.


texts: What is the suitable verb form of this 'wish-clause'?

texts:
This is the item from a grammar book.

  Jim’s neighbors are going to move. He wishes they would move (move) soon.

I wonder if I change it to the following:

  Jim’s neighbors are going to move. He wishes they __________ (move) so soon.

By adding 'so', what should be filled in the blank? Does 'wouldn't move' make sense?


texts:
When talking about months should I use the preposition "on" or "in"?

For instance,

  I am going to be there on/in April.


texts:
In America things are going very badly. There is a great deal of unemployment and enough misery to soften the heart of a tiger. Those responsible could not care less.

Is the word "badly" used properly? I would use "bad". "Bad" here describes the pronoun "things". Or not?


texts:
Is "afraid to" ever heard of?
I was watching Iron Man 3 with subtitles. I thought I heard "not afraid to you" but the subtitle shows "not afraid of you". I know that the particle "of" is the norm, but is "to" valid too?

You could listen to the sentence in the first 5 or 7 seconds of this short Youtube video.
Do you hear "of" or "to"?

By the way I did a Google search but couldn't find anything interesting.

Update: I think the particle "of" is practically dropped in fast speech. So the sentence is heard as: "afraid-[schwa]-you"


texts:
She wanted proof in writing that when it came to financial
opportunities and inheritance, Barron would be treated as more of an
equal to Trump’s oldest [four] children.

I understand the meaning of 'more of a' when it's used with 'than', but I'm confused about this one. Whether true or not, did she wanted his financial opportunities and inheritance to be as equal as the other four, or wanted it to be more?


texts: Best way to say the car was washed (exam question)

texts:
Only one is correct. Explain per item your choice and others alternatives are not correct. Please consider grammar concepts.

Which of the alternatives is grammatically correct?

  A) Joshua had had his car washed.
  B) Joshua did his car washed.
  C) Joshua has had his car washed.
  D) Joshua has being having his car washed.

Could you please explain with grammar?


texts: What's considered more painful? ache Vs. painful Vs. sore

texts:
What's considered more painful of the following three words? I saw on the dictionary that all of the following three words: ache, painful and sore have the same meaning and it's not clear to me if they're just synonyms or they have some subtle differences. (I know that "ache", unlike sore and painful, is a noun rather than an adjective, but still the difference between I'd like to know if there is a difference in the meaning.)

Examples:

  * She's got a sore back. Vs. She's got a backache Vs. She's got a painful back.

  * All the dust has made my eyes sore. Vs. All the dust has made my eyes painful. Vs. All the dust cause to my eyes to (be) ache.


texts: Does curl up imply that something is trying to completely cover something in a curl?

texts:
"The tentacle curled up on his finger."
Does the above mean that the tentacle almost covered the finger whole?

to arrange oneself in or as if in a ball or curl

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curl%20up
It doesn't seem to imply that the tentacle is trying to stick onto the finger to almost cover all of it or most of it. How do you convey this?


texts: I learned at school that "police" is a plural noun. But there are many different police. When we talk about secret police, military police, and riot police, can we say 3 polices?


texts: Is it right to say We don't have a chance for tomorrow?

texts: If I want to say that the relationship has no future, can I say: We don't have a chance for tomorrow?


texts: Looking for the subject of an infinitive phrase

texts:
From an article on kiting:

  Leading edge inflatable kites, known also as inflatables, LEI kites or C-kites, are typically made from ripstop polyester with an inflatable plastic bladder that spans the front edge of the kite with separate smaller bladders that are perpendicular to the main bladder to form the chord or foil of the kite.

As I understand, "to form the chord or foil of the kite" is an infinitive phrase (or clause). But what is its subject? What actually forms the foil, according to the sentence? The front-edge bladder? Or the smaller bladders? Or both? Is the sentence grammatical?

The sentence is also used in Wikipedia's article on kitesurfing.


texts: Present Perfect referring to the Future?

texts:
I have a grammar exercise which is: "Time Clauses Referring to the Future. Compare the sentences, how does the meaning change when the Present Perfect is used?"

Come over and see us when our guests leave.
Come over and see us when our guest have left.
We can go out as soon as we have had dinner.
*We can go out as soon as we have dinner.

I would like to ask you what does it mean when the Present Perfect is used and what does it mean when Present Simple is used? Also it is confused to me what "*" mean in the sentence 4, because it is not explained.


texts: Is the phrase " as not + adverb or adjevtive as" used commonly?

texts:
Is the phrase " as not + adverb or adjective as" used commonly?

For example, "A is as not many as B" and does this mean same as " A is as few as B"?


texts:
In Two and a Half Men pilot, Jake and Charlie had a conversation after Alan decided to move to their mother's.

Jake: "How come you don't have any kids?"

Charlie: "I don't know. Maybe because I love me
more than anything in the world."

Grammatically, Charlie should have said "I love myself", right? Is it a common mistake in daily conversation?


texts: I am reading the book " A higher loyalty" by James Comey. One of the chapter describes how he was taunted in the school. I am not sure what exactly he meant saying the following " One of my first days on the fifth-grade playground, I was surrounded by a group of boys who taunted me and my looks". My looks in the dictionary appears to be - appearance , better suggestions ?


texts: If you are working on something that will take some time to be completed (for example two or three months), how would you announce that? I think that "coming soon" is not well suited. Maybe "coming next"?


texts: Is "call" used copulatively in this sentence?

texts:
There is a line in the movie Goodfellas:

  TOMMY (to Sonny): Jeez, it’s good you don’t mean to be out of order, Sonny. You call embarrassing me in front of my friends, calling me a fucking deadbeat, you know

It seems here call is used as a copula. Otherwise, this line is ungrammatical in standard English speech. Or is it a slang/dialectal usage?


texts: What vs. where when talking about a place

texts:
Sometimes I feel confused whether to use what or wher when I talk about a place. For example:

  What is your destination?

or

  Where is your destination?

Which is correct and why?


texts: What does "screenshot" mean in news titles?

texts:
I recently read some articles from cityam.com and found some titles had similar patterns like "Screenshot: blahblahblah...". For example

Screenshot: Can social media win the anti-vax war?
Screenshot: Is price comparison the Future of publishing?
and more ... Search result for screenshot

I looked up the word screenshot in Cambridge Dictionary, lexico.com and Collins Dictionary. All of them just showed two meanings:

as a noun: an image of what is shown on a computer screen
as a verb: to make an image of what is shown on a computer screen so it can be copied or saved

It seems neither of the above is suitable for the use cases. Can someone help explain?


texts:
here's part of an article (http://econ.st/2AASyWO):

  In particular, many in the provinces do not speak Tagalog, the national language, let alone English, which employers prize (the country has eight main languages and dozens of local dialects).

I thought the verb form of "prize" is transitive and has to be used before a noun but here it doesn't seem to be the same with what I know? Is this correct?


texts: Help with meaning and structure of a lengthy sentence - "It is in the place... and in the meaning... that ..."

texts:
So confused with this sentence.

  It is in the place that tales occupied in the lives of the slaves
  and in the meaning slaves derived from them that the clearest
  resemblances to African tradition can be found.

Can I change the sentence like this?

  It is in the place that tales occupied in the lives of the slaves.And it is in the meaning slaves derived from them that the clearest
  resemblances to African tradition can be found.

But then what does the first sentence ('It is in the place that tales occupied in the lives of the slaves') mean?Seems make no sense.

Or is it like this?

  It is in the place that tales occupied in the lives of the slaves
  that the clearest resemblances to African tradition can be found. And it is in the meaning slaves derived from them that the clearest
  resemblances to African tradition can be found.

Still, is 'tales occupied' here grammatically right? Why 'occupied'? Should it be like 'tales occupy'?
Also,is 'slaves derived from them' grammatically right? Should it be like 'derived by slaves from them',instead?

Here is the context.

  Extended debate concerning the exact point of origin of individual
  folktales told by Afro-American slaves has unfortunately taken
  precedence over analysis of the tales’ meaning and function. Cultural
  continuities with Africa were not dependent on importation and
  perpetuation of specific folktales in their pristine form. It is in
  the place that tales occupied in the lives of the slaves and in the
  meaning slaves derived from them that the clearest resemblances to
  African tradition can be found. Afro-American slaves did not borrow
  tales indiscriminately from the Whites among whom they lived. Black
  people were most influenced by those Euro-American tales whose
  functional meaning and aesthetic appeal had the greatest similarity to
  the tales with deep roots in their ancestral homeland. Regardless of
  where slave tales came from, the essential point is that, with respect
  to language, delivery, details of characterization, and plot, slaves
  quickly made them their own.


texts:
What is the difference between prodding and poking? According to the Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary, their senses are almost the same.

  Prod- to push sb/sth finger or with a pointed object

  Poke- to quickly push your fingers or another object into sb/sth

But I've found sentences where both prod and poke were used together. For example, He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking.


texts:
I know "never" has two usage of "not" and "not ～ so far, but".

For example :
 A dictionary say "I have never been happier" has meaning of "not ～ so far, but" but "It has never been better" means "not".

When does "never" mean "not" and when does it mean "not ～ so far, but"?


texts: What to call someone who cries out "wow" all the time?

texts: What to call someone who (silently, but loud enough that the talking person hears it) cries out "wow" (throughout another person's monologue) all the time as an expression of delight or admiration (?) The talking person is someone of authority.


texts: Parenthetical Phrase? Preposition? Hyphens?

texts:
I had a dialogue. with someone. They sent something like:

  When it comes to work, I like structure and being detail-oriented.

Should I call this a parenthetical phrase or preposition?

I thought hyphens should come only first what they modify, not after.


texts: Is there any difference in meaning beteen "hang on" and "hang in" in the sense of continuing despite difficulties?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between hang on and hang in in the sense of continuing despite difficulties? For example:

The patient is in a coma. He's hanging in there.
The patient is in a coma. He's hanging on.


texts: I have never thought you are ideal. / I never thought you were ideal

texts:
Is it correct explanation of an each sentence (in the brackets)?

I have never thought you are ideal. (it's about the present situation that started in the past)
I never thought you were ideal. (it's about the past situation that started in the past and finished in the past)


texts: what does 'I would have killed with this crowd' means?

texts: I saw that in modern family S1. and I've never heard about 'kill with'. kill crowd? kill with crowd? are they different?


texts: What is meaning of "really pisses people of"?

texts:
I need a simple English version to understand the very short original text

  @op: ok, you were right. now did you really have to start a dozen threads in many different forums for that? no. and that is the very thing that really pisses people of, to the point where your actual problem does not matter anymore.

thanks.


texts:
He was rendered mostly ineffective by Uruguay’s stout defense; it was fellow veteran Pepe – not No. 7 – whose powerful header pulled Portugal level 10 minutes into the second half after Cavani put the Uruguyans ahead in the first.

I figure level here is like an adverb and pulled Portugal level means pull Portugal back to the competition because of the score by that powerful header. But I don't know if I understand it correctly. What's the correct way of understanding pulled Portugal level in this context?


texts: How to express "please serve foods/meals"?

texts:
One person tell me "please serve dinner/breakfast" is correct, but you can't write "please serve foods/meals".
But when I want to write for the word food/meal, what will I write? Suppose, some guests have come in my home.
I'm telling my sister to serve them food.


texts: What are ways to ask a question about a direct object in English?

texts:
In the sentence: "They help poor families", how do we make a question which the answer is "poor families"?
Back in school they taught us that we should use "do" while forming a question in present simple unless the question is asking about the subject. In this example, we say: "Who help poor families?"
But in the case where you want to ask the question where the answer is "poor families", you normally say: "Who do they help?" _at least they way they taught us. However, I noticed somewhere that they used the following structure: "Who they help?"
I wanted to see if I'm missing a grammar or something? Or maybe it is common in speaking and informal writing.
Any help in here would be appreciated.


texts: Can this case be considered a substitution for the past continuous and future continuous tense

texts:
He left the stage to prolonged applause

Can you explain using a preposition 'to' in this context, is it considered as substitution for the past continuous and future continuous tenses?

  while something else is happening or being done

link to the source (#15)


texts: Is the structure "Making ... into ..." correct?

texts:
Is this sentence structure correct and usable:

  Making ... into ...

Or must I use the word converting rather than making?

An example could be:

  Making sunlight into electricity is an easy task for a solar cell.


texts: which is grammatically correct? it can help your company improve or improves

texts: Which s grammatically correct? it can help your company improve or improves?


texts:
How can we use "buh-bye" in daily life? Can we use it just on the phone? any restrictions?

I have seen on the web that it can be used always in informal situations.


texts: Difference between "what car would you like to buy?" and "what kind of car would you like to buy?"

texts:
As a nonnative speaker, I have been curious about the difference between "what car" and "what kind of car". To me, these two seem exactly similar.

For example, when I go to the car dealership, a salesman asks, "what car would you like to buy?" or "what kind of car would you like to buy?"

What is the difference between these two questions?


texts: "make money ON YouTube" vs. "make money WITH YouTube"

texts:
One of my friends asked me for advice to make money online, I responded like this

I make money on YouTube, I upload videos and get the ad share from Google.

Should I have said it this way?

I make money with YouTube...

Ngram Viewer shows neither is common.

How do I convey the idea more naturally?


texts:
Is it a correct way to say

  Me, on the other hand, was/were feeling increasingly uneasy.

Are highlighted words used here correctly?


texts: I will have the opportunity or I will get the opportunity

texts:
I am confused between because according to google translate translation of both of the sentences are same.

  I will have the opportunity to work with best dancers.

and

  I will get the opportunity to work with best dancers.

Can anyone explain difference between both sentences with understandable example.


texts: Can I use Past Simple and Present Simple in one sentence?

texts:
Actually I have two questions:

Can I use Past Simple and Present Simple together in the sentence: 'He looked stunned when he realized that she lives here'?! I know about Sequence of tenses but I'm confused with this sentence!
Which is correct 'he looked stunned' or 'he was stunned'?!


texts:
doesn't yet exist
doesn't exist yet

As far as I know yet should come at the end of a sentence. Is this a grammar error?


texts: difference between "cleaning a room" and "tidying a room"?

texts:
What's the difference between "cleaning up a room" and "tidying a room"?

Is it like cleaning, unlike tidying, involves wiping, sweeping and mopping?


texts: What's the meaning of word “Awkwardnessfull”?

texts:
I read it on some books that were written: "Awkwardnessfull is Awkwardnessfull" in terms of what are the words that are homological. What's the meaning of this word?

The context is:

  Another clever paradox deals with adjectives in English and is called the heterological paradox or Grelling’s paradox. Consider the word English. English is an English word. In contrast, French is not a French word (it is an English word). Let us look at some other adjectives and see how they relate to themselves: Adjectival is adjectival. Female is not female. Awkwardnessfull is awkwardnessfull. Unpronounceable is not unpronounceable.
  The Outer Limits of Reason: What Science, Mathematics, and Logic Cannot Tell Us


texts: Absolute construction with or without "with"

texts:
When the volunteers catch wind of dire financial situation, they rent a stall at the flea market. Neighbours empty their cupboards and garages, with the money raised paying our living expenses.

The sentences stated above have been taken from a story named Your son is in a coma published in Reader's Digest, January 2006. I cannot find the name of the author of this story.
Here with the money raised paying our living expenses is an absolute construction. What would happen if I omit with or don't use with and write it in the following way?

  ..., the money raised paying our living expenses.


texts: "might I..." vs. "may I...?" for permission

texts:
I discovered that in some cases the question "might I..." when asking for permission politely is more common than "may I". For example "Might I join you?"
Which question would be more common while asking for permission "might I?" or may I?"
Of course I realize that there is also "could I?" "would you mind?" and so on but I'd like to know the difference in usage between "Might I" and "may I."


texts:
When should (shouldn't) we use indefinite article (a) with "statement"?

Which one is correct?

  Arsenal know they have to make statement of intent at Manchester City. The Guardian

  Georginio Wijnaldum wants Liverpool to make a statement of intent at Sunderland this afternoon. Daily Mail


texts:
today, I wonder what is the correct sentence and I hope you can help me:

This will be done until the end of this year.
This will be done until by the end of this year.

Is sentence 1 or 2 right? Or are both possible?

Wishes


texts:
This is the sentence before the one that I am asking about:

  If we broke open all their newest phones, which are just a fraction of the total that’ve been built, and split them into their component parts, that would produce around 85,000 kilograms of gold, 875,000 of silver, and 40 million kilograms of copper.

And this is the sentence that I am interested in:

  How did this precious cache get into our phones, and can we reclaim it?

Does cache refer to the memory? Or "precious cache" is a different term and refers to something else?


texts: Never act rudely toward your parents OR Never act saucily toward your parents

texts:
Which one of the following choices sounds natural:

  Never act rudely toward your parents.
  Never act saucily toward your parents.

If neither works as a natural way to say that, I would be thankful if you paraphrase it for me and tell me what is the commonest way to say that.


texts: Is there an excllent online resource for defining, comparing and contrasting prepositional phrases?

texts:
I ran across what did not appear to be at first but what became an interesting question posted here which asked for clarification about using the prepositional phrases during and through, and when one would be more appropriate than the other.  At first I thought this question might be too easy for this website and it would be a simple matter to Google a resource with a ready example.  Surprisingly, though, I didn't find any such site. As you'll note in the comments, @aparente001 also searched for an appropriate website with little success.  So we agreed this question was worth elevating to the community.

Is there an excellent online resource for defining, comparing and contrasting prepositional phrases, using the criteria that it must, at a minimum, define both during and through and give examples comparing and contrasting them to show when one is more appropriate than the other?  (The idea is that if it includes these then it will [hopefully] also include other hard to find prepositional phrase comparisons and thus be a great resource for English language learners.)


texts: What is the difference between these sentences? Which sentence is correct?

texts:
What is the difference between this sentences?:

  1) "Where do your parents live?"

  2) "Where is your parents live?"

Which one is correct?


texts:
Typically, we compare two entities of the same sort, so that we say "John's hat is bigger than Peter's," not "John's hat is bigger than Peter" unless, of course, we are deliberately comparing a person's size with an object's.

But I saw the following sentence in a dictionary. Is it natural and correct?

  The quality of pork is often less variable than beef.


texts: Is "You added me, wasn't it?" grammatically correct?

texts:
"You added me, wasn't it?"

Is this sentence grammatically correct? Isn't it the same as asking "Wasn't it you that added me?"? It kinda looks weird.


texts: missing the public's attention / out of the public's attention

texts:
How Do the following sentences differ in meaning?

  The billionaire lives his life missing the public's attention.

  The billionaire lives his life out of the public's attention.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Word for a piece of art which makes you tear up?

texts:
Is there a word to call something that makes you cry how good it is to use in a sentence such as

  This song is a guaranteed [teardropper].


texts:
How do a plural two nouns that are separated by an "and"?

Do I plural both words?

example:
I import coffees and teas.
OR:
I import coffee and teas.

please advise.


texts: When to use do you ever and have you ever?

texts:
Do you ever sing a song?
Have you ever sung a song?

In this case, what's the difference between do you ever and have you ever? What's the meaning of do you ever?


texts:
I'm reading an article about diary writing in the nineteenth century. It says:

  "While a mountain of minutiae could be expected of most amateurs, on the contrary, keeping a diary helped novelist Virginia Woolf (1882– 1941) cut loose. Her hand moved over the page faster than her mind could censor it, sweeping up 'several stray matters which I should exclude if I hesitated'."

I'm confused about the first sentence. Does "a mountain of minutiae could be expected of most amateurs" mean that most amateurs wrote a lot of details? If so, it doesn't seem to be contrary to what Woolf did. If not, what does it mean?


texts: What is the well known proverb to say "Be a king of kings, not a king of slaves, let alone a slave of slaves"?

texts:
I am looking for a proverb that conveys the following meaning:

  Be a king of kings, not a king of slaves, let alone a slave of slaves

Is it the following understandable?

  Be a big fish in a big pond rather than be a big fish in a small pond, let alone a small fish in a small pond.


texts: Is "while" here duration of time or contrastively used?

texts:
And this has direct repercussions at the individual level: households
can reduce the cost of electricity and gas bills, and improve their
health and comfort, while companies can increase their
competitiveness and their productivity.

As I know, while has two meanings.

We must have been burgled while we were asleep. (duration of time)

While Tom’s very good at science, his brother is absolutely hopeless. (contrast)

I wonder what the answer is.


texts:
You are in a danger.
You are in danger.

Of what context does each one describe? What kind of danger is uncountable?


texts: Relative clause and omission in news article

texts:
I have two questions regarding relative clauses (which I believe they are).
Question 1:
From an article in The Guardian

The Chinese government has taken the rare step of formally confirming to the UN the death of a Uighur man whose family believe had been held in a Xinjiang internment camp since 2017.

Here it says

" ... a Uighur man whose family believe had been held in..."

and here is what I'd rewrite as I understand the sentence:

"... Uighur man whose family believe (that) he had been held in..."

If I understood correctly, why is the subject 'he' omitted?
If not, what is grammatical rule behind the original sentence from the Guardian?
Question 2:
From an article in the Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration on Thursday barred U.S. companies from supplying Chinese entities it said were building supercomputers to help Beijing develop new weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear devices.

Here it says

"...Chinese entities it said were building supercomputers..."

and here is how I understand the sentence:

"... Chinese entities which the Biden administration said were building supercomputers..."

‘which’ here is 'entities' is how I understand it.
Is this correct? If it is, what is ‘it said’? Is it just an embedded clause?
What grammar is behind this one?


texts: said as an adjective with or without the definite article

texts:
The Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary gives the following examples of "said":
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/said

The following is a description of how said property [=the property mentioned before] is divided.

by order of the judge of said court

It puzzles me why the boldfaced parts do not come with a definite article. Other dictionaries would have "the" with such examples.


texts: What do you call the act of pretending to be working so you can relax a bit at work?

texts: You know sometimes at work, you finish something and then you just relax a bit, because you don't want to get burdened with another ticket. Is there a word for such action? I am not saying people should do this, but they do this.


texts: What is a synonym for "aftermath" but with a positive connotation?

texts:
I'd like to use a synonym for "aftermath" without the negative connotation. My context is a wedding ceremony or party, and "everybody is still hyped up in its [aftermath]."

I can be flexible, so the answer doesn't have to fit exactly into the template "in its ____".


texts:
Do we say "line" or "lines"?

The entry for line is:

  Usu., lines. the words of an actor's part in a drama, musical comedy, etc.

It says it's usually plural, but they don't say when it's singular. Do we use the singular if the line is just a sentence? And do we use the plural when we're talking about more than two sentences?

For example:

  I said the following line "I am about to tell a really good one,
  because I thought about this joke since the morning and the morning
  thereafter, and I have refined it until this very last minute!" on stage.


texts:
I wrote:

  The selected sentences are listed for the view of the user.

I mean the software lists the sentences so that the user can view and check them, but my sentence is not valid or common, what are ways to say such a phrase?

It also can be about a gallery, "the pictures are there for the view of people"?


texts: What's the difference between 'that's true' and 'that's right' in English?

texts:
'He is good at English,'

  'That's true.'

And:

  'He is good at English,'

  'That's right.'

According to Collins dictionary,
right is defined as:

  If something is right, it is correct and agrees with the facts.

true is defined as:

  If something is true, it is based on facts rather than being invented or imagined, and is accurate and reliable.

They seem both refer to concrete fact, what's the difference between them? Any opinion is appreciated, thanks.


texts:
Can we use "the" article before names in possession, like:

  It was the Homer's car

or it should be

  It was Homer's car


texts: Are "They are called living things.", "Those are called living things." and "Them are called living things." interchangeable? Do all sentences convey the same meaning?


texts:
The native speaker told the second sentence is incorrect.
Could you please explain why?

(1) What time is it?
(2) I don't know what time it is.


texts: Should I use "for" or "of" after the word "test"

texts:
I wan to say we tested (tried) iphone version #

Which one is correct?

  Our test of iphone version # shows that ...

Or,

  Our test for iphone version # shows that ...


texts: This story and also this kind of stories(is/are) usually ... Which one is correct? Why?

texts:
Which one is correct? Why?

  This story and also this kind of stories are usually about money & marriage.
  This story and also this kind of stories is usually about money & marriage.


texts: Is *fixate* a modern word, though OLD doesn't include it?

texts:
OLD has definitions for fixated, fixative,  but not fixate. This suggests that  fixate is not a normal, modern word that one can use in everyday speech or writing... Is this right?

Note: OxfordDictionaries has fixate. I find it strange.


texts:
This is a tooltip in an application:

  Identifies the site name to which the GL code belongs to.

Can I say that it is incorrect to use "to" twice here and we should remove 1 of them?

Other examples:

  Identifies the vendor to which the port speed is associated with.
  Provides the vendor to which the milestone is associated with.

(They are both tooltips, too)

The repetitions here are incorrect, aren't they? Please confirm.


texts:
When does your University's admission procedures start?

or

When do your University's admission procedures start?
When do his cars arrive?

or

When does his cars arrive?
When does his parents come back?

or

When do his parents come back?

In all three cases should we be using do, since in the first scenario, we're talking admission procedures, and in the second one and third one, we're talking cars and parents?

And, If I was to look up on the internet what I'm struggling with here, using do and does right, what should I put in the search bar?


texts: have learned\have been learning\used to/would learn?

texts:
The parents have learned to let their kids speak.
The parents have been learning to let their kids speak.
The parents used to/would learn to let their kids speak.

I mean that that was certain process, they (have?) learned in the past through piece of time, for example through 3 years, and 5 years ago. They don't have to learn it anymore, because presently they can let their kids speak. But in the past they used to learn it day after day.
Or maybe another form would be right?


texts:
At Hit the rolling Assyrian plain had come to an end, and the invading army had entered upon the low alluvium of Babylonia, a region of great fertility, intersected by numerous canals, which in some places were carried the entire distance from the one river to the other.

Does "were carried" have a passive structure, or is "carried" simply an adjective in this text?


texts: a romantic escape place or a romantic place

texts:
The writers think that the moon is a place for a romantic escape.

If I change this sentence,

  The writers think that the moon is a romantic escape place.

In this sentence, I wanted to know the word "place" is redundant or not.


texts: Past simple for a reported speech still true

texts:
Jenny said she had a problem with the modern world

The original sentence said by Jenny was "I have a problem with the modern world." This is true when Jenny said it but when it is reported is it still true . I think it is not true anymore because the past simple is used.Am I right?


texts: What is "what and that... and "to leave someone to", and "the opening"? Driving a car

texts:
The text is about how to drive a car

  1) Think of your car as a bike.  The back wheels rotate in one straight line no matter what and that leaves you to adjust the direction of the front wheels to wherever you want to go.

And in the following I haven't understood the meaning of "opening" wheather it is a door side of driver or space where you are parking in or both. thanks a lot!

  2) In order to parallel park between two cars

    a. Pull up next to the cars just far enough so that the back of your car is parallel to the side of the opening closest to you.

    b. Shift your gear into Reverse gear and steer the car in the opposite direction in which the cars are parked.

    c. Slowly back into the opening, using your rear and side view mirrors, and stop as soon as your car is halfway into the opening.

    d. Shift your gear so that you are now in the Drive mode and steer your car back to the direction of the parked cars.


texts:
"I try not to compare myself to people, um, and instead to squirrels".

I heard someone say this. I've seen and get used after a few, I guess, joined words. I don't think I've seen, and, or, heard it get used like this. How may this grammatically join to I try not to compare myself to people?


texts: When Americans hear a word he doesn't know, how they can find the word in a dictionary?

texts:
English is can be pronounced different way in many cases. I've been wondering how they can search the word at a dictionary?

For example, if somebody heard the word "talk", it sounds like "tok"
If he doesn't know "talk", he will search it in a dictionary with "tok" and couldn't find the right word.

I want to know the process Americans learn a new word when they are children.


texts: Where should the commas be placed in 'Beloved, son, brother, father, and grandpa'?

texts:
Which sentence is correct?

  Beloved, son, brother, father, and grandpa.

or

  Beloved son, brother, father and grandpa.

Context: Our customer wants this phrase on a headstone. They have a comma after beloved and father. I didn't think a comma was appropriate after "beloved" and would be optional after father.


texts: Is the word stupidest grammatically incorrect? I've seen that you have to write "the most stupid," or something like that. But we're taught that stupidest is wrong.


texts:
Suppose the players of a team are sad over losing a game:

  The team just lost a close game.  Hence the sadness.

Is the second sentence a complete sentence?


texts: How do you differentiate between these two types of 3rd conditional?

texts:
everyone.
I always think there are two types of 3rd conditional. One is use to express counterfactual situation in the past e.g.

  He would have spurred the pony, but his father made them dismount
  beside the bridge and approach on foot.

But there is another type of 3rd conditional, which looks quite like the first type, used to show complete imagination of situation in the past.

  e.g Robert Baratheon and his brothers were all big men, as was the
  Hound, and back at Winterfell there was a simpleminded stableboy named
  Hodor who dwarfed them all, but the knight they called the Mountain
  That Rides would have towered over Hodor.

So how do you differentiate these two type of 3rd conditional?
Please let me know your opinions.
Thank you for your help.


texts:
I teach him English.

  I teaching him English.

  I am teaching him English.

Are these sentences above grammatically correct?


texts: What is the mouse's starvation referring to

texts:
As always when they met, Lan's and Rhuarc's icy blue stares nearly
  struck sparks. A braided leather cord held Lan's dark hair,
  gray-streaked at the temples. His face looked to have been carved from
  rock, all hard planes and angles, and his sword rode his hip like part
  of his body. Perrin was not sure which of the two men was more deadly,
  but he thought a mouse could starve on the difference.

    The Wheel of Time: Book Four - The Shadow Rising (Chapter 3 - Reflection)

Is the phrase being used as an idiom? If so, I could find no strong references to its usage anywhere. If not, can someone explain what the author wished to express here?


texts: Participants of the city meeting of young tourists or Participants of the young tourists city meeting?

texts: Which of the above sentences structure is correct? These are complete sentences, another title to a photograph. Do any of them sound English?


texts: Are there other prepositions beyond "from" and "by" that are used with "inspire"?

texts:
Are there any other prepositions to use with the verb inspire other than "from" and  "by"?

Example:

  He also inspired me ______ how important the teachers are to their students.


texts:
Please, have a look at the following sentences:

  Executing agency (also referred to as "executing entity") shall mean the entity responsible for execution of UN-Women programme activities as defined in regulation 27.2.
  The funds generated through the round tables should be allocated directly to UNDP, or to the United Nations and specialized agencies, or to the beneficiary Governments responsible for execution of these projects, in order to reduce the number of intermediaries and shorten time-lags.
  The Executive Director of UNEP shall be responsible for the execution of the functions of UNEP under this MOU.
  Judges responsible for the execution of sentences must be appointed; meanwhile, criminal judges must perform this function.
  The manufacturer shall be responsible for the execution of the approved plan of remedial measures.

Could you please explain why the zero article is used in the first two sentences before the word "execution", while in the other three sentences there is the definite article before the same word?


texts: What does "I will float off the floor from our morning time" mean?

texts: After a date, that we have early at morning, a girl wrote me that sentence. What does it mean? I cannot figure out the sense translating it into my mother tongue. Thank you all.


texts: What is the meaning of"that broke meter"in this context?

texts:
What is the meaning of "that broke meter" in this context? Does it have a meaning like way too much or out of control?

  Yes. By the time I came to Life Studies I’d been writing my
     autobiography and also writing poems that broke meter. I’d been
     doing a lot of reading aloud. I went on a trip to the West Coast and
     read at least once a day and sometimes twice for fourteen days, and
     more and more I found that I was simplifying my poems. If I had a
     Latin quotation I’d translate it into English. If adding a couple of
     syllables in a line made it clearer I’d add them, and I’d make little
     changes just impromptu as I read. That seemed to improve the reading.

(Source)


texts: Does "have you not scolded by any" make any sense?

texts: While chatting with a friend I used the phrase "have you not scolded by any". But it doesn't sound correct. Does it make any sense?


texts: Would/Will in "‘What is the probability that if you chose one of these 75 patients at random, their injury will (would) have been caused by crushing?"

texts:
From a book titled "Medical Statistics from Scratch":

Can we use would have been caused instead? Like this:

  Now ask the question, ‘What is the probability that if you chose one of these 75 patients at random, their injury will have been caused by crushing?’.

After all, chose is in the past tense. We often form conditionals with Past Tense + "would have been".

Or is the fact that the data table is presented to the reader makes will have been the only correct option?


texts: What's the difference between 'subject + did + verb' and 'subject + simple past'?

texts:
What's the difference between these two setences?

  We did have a meeting, but it was a bit rushed.

  We had a meeting, but it was a bit rushed.


texts: Are there situations where you have to absolutely put a comma before because?

texts:
You shouldn't report him because he's a relative. You should report him for other reasons.
You shouldn't report him, because he's a relative. You shouldn't report him because he's a relative.

I am pretty sure you can always put a comma before because and change the meaning of the sentence, but I am wondering if there are cases where only one meaning is possible and therefore you have to put a comma before because because the other meaning (where we don't put a comma) is meaningless.


texts: Which from the two given texts is better?

texts:
I had a small argument over my sister's homework. Can you tell me please, which text is better in terms of grammar and narration?
1) Uzbekistan during the spring is one of my most favourite places to be. The first greenery appears in the early days of February. During this season the sun is bright but not as warm as in summer. When it comes to March, the trees begin their blooming. Now and then a warm and gentle rain will fall accompanied by rolling thunder. After it ends, it might cover the sky with a beautiful arc of colourful light. The spring in Uzbekistan is just magnificent.
2) One of the most important places which I prefer in Uzbekistan become during spring. Every year the trees begin to blooming in the beginning of March. During the spring there are gentle rain falls with accompanying thunderstorms. After ending there is might be beautiful rainbow in the sky. In Uzbekistan the spring is just magnificent.
If you can, for both, please mention what are the mistakes and why it is wrong.
Thank you very much in advance.


texts: Contextual meaning of "first class" or "first" applied to postal mail

texts:
For a while I thought "first class" was used to express a better service for a higher price. For example the first class seats in a train or a plane.

Naturally for a long time I came to believe the same meaning is carried over for mailing and postal services. However this seems to be misleading and doesn't appear to be the case.

Is there a general shared meaning agreed upon for the word "first class" or "first" when it comes to mail, maybe even a legal meaning, or is it some kind of non-standard word with no clear implications for which I need to carefully read the description on the postal service that uses such a term?


texts:
Architecture and design guru William T. Georgis designed his dramatic
  pool for his private West Coast getaway. A raised planter ingeniously
  created planting space at the foot of a large retaining wall, which we
  filled with statuesque junipers and striped flax. Water spilling from
  pin jets into the pool is a lovely soundtrack in the already tranquil
  spot.

  From Gardens are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces by
  Judy Kameon

How can I interpret “soundtrack” here? Does it mean background sound? Does it imply the sound makes the spot even more tranquil?

  Soundtrack:

  the sounds, especially the music, of a film, or a separate recording
  of this:

  https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/soundtrack


texts: "I wondered how I would get past should I meet someone coming down"

texts:
The staircase was so narrow, I wondered how I would get past should I meet someone coming down?

I like to know what "should" means in this sentence. And what grammar is that?


texts:
Is there any alternative to blow hot and cold , in a more sarcastic way, in the context of this sentence.

He has been inconsistence in his view, blowing hot and cold and hence appears unconvincing


texts:
He knew that I was trying to tell him the fact that him being
  wrong.
  He knew that I was trying to tell him the fact which is him being
  wrong.
  He knew that I was trying to tell him the
  fact that he is wrong.
  He knew that I was trying to tell him the fact that he was
  wrong.

I am confused about whether these are right or not. Are you supposed to turn every Present Simple verbs to past simple if you are talking about the past?


texts: On the farm or in the farm -- which is correct?

texts:
I am confused about the usage of preposition in this sentence: “The cow is grazing ……. the farm”. Which one is correct?

1) The cow is grazing in the farm.

2) The cow is grazing on the farm.


texts: What is the meaning of to have been and founding?

texts:
He is the first North Korean leader to have been born after the country's founding.

(Wikipedia: Kim Jong-un)

What is the meaning of to have been

And founding in this context.?


texts: Difference between was not and could not have been

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences :

It was not possible.

It could not have been possible.

What is the difference in both the sentences?

It was not possible that day.

It could not have been possible that day.

I am getting confused in the time frame of these sentences. Is it possible that sometimes they can be used interchangeably?


texts:
How do you know which suffix to use in order to make a verb be a noun? For example:

Let's look at the verb "admit". The noun is "admission"
"achieve" the noun is "achievement"
"arrange" the noun is "arrangement"

I think you got the idea. Also happy new year!


texts: What is the difference in meaning between both sentences?

texts:
1.The money is owing.

  2.The money is owed.

I don't understand what is difference of both sentences.

In dictionary has explained that 'Owing meaning is same like owed.' and  Owing and owed is like Due meaning.

However, in my thinking owing is an active meaning but owed is a passive meaning.

Why owing and owed has same meaning like due ?


texts: Word for the negative effects of a new medicine

texts:
Personally, I don't support animal testing, this is just an essay for an English test.

  Animal testing can ensure the new medicine is safe for people to use. If medicines are not tested on animals first, many people may suffer because of the _________ caused by a new medicine.

Is side effects appropriate here? But many medications have side effects.

Should I use negative effects? I think there should be some terms better than negative effects that can be used here.


texts: That+ adjective, for ex."that easy".can I say " that usual"?

texts:
I wondered if "that" can be followed by almost every adjective, when it means= so.
For ex. That doesn't happen "that usual" instead of "so usual"

Any guidelines for negative, positive or interrogative forms?


texts: What is the meaning of "crank open" and "hung up" in this context?

texts:
This is the context:

  Tyson: allow me to
  announce that this day is the 25th anniversary of Kathy Sullivan deploying
  the Hubble Space Telescope in space.

  Kathryn Sullivan: actually, I did not get to pull the trigger that released it. Steve Hawley did that. And Bruce McCandless and I were locked in
  the airlock where we had almost had to race outside to
  crank open the solar array that hung up for a while.

  source: 2015 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: Water, Water

What is the meaning of "crank open" in this context? and additionally, is "hung up" means "stop working"?


texts:
Whenever it is said that 'We have a history' people consider it to mean that 'we' once were in a realtionship. Can 'we have a history' connote a non-relationship-platonic just good memories, sense.

I've googled it and haven't got any satisfactory results. Kindly apprise me of its usage.


texts: what's the role of indefinite article in this phrase : he went into a rage!

texts:
what the role of indefinite article in this phrase :

  He went into a rage!

The indefinite article doesn't make sense here what if we eliminate it from the sentence?

edit:
it doesn't make sense to me because rage for me is a mental state and  "a" for me is equal to one.. "one rage" doesn't make sense.


texts: Where can I find a guide-book for spell-pronunciation in English?

texts:
For native English speakers, they can speak out most of the words they saw.
Without the help of international phonetic symbol system.

I've searched on-line and find some of the rules which helps spell-pronounce a word.
But they are not complete.

Where can I find a complete guide-book or reference for such spell-pronunciation rules?


texts: Usage of very/much with present/past participle

texts:
I have a book which says that very is used before present participle  e.g. very interesting, very daring, very entertaining etc and much before past participle like much amazed, much grieved, much surprised etc.
Then the author has given few exceptions where very is used with past participle e.g. very tired, very dejected, very contented etc.

He has given a few sentences in exercise section for error correction. One of them is :

  Being much contented with the sincerity of the members of the staff, the chief minister said that the state needed sincere men like them.

As per him I need to replace much contented with very contented as it is from one of those exceptions.

My question is is there any other reason/ logic why very is used here not much, in other words Do I need to cram all those exceptions or there is any work around to find such errors in usage of much/very ?


texts: Google told me that "in the world" is used to express astonishment or disbelief in questions. How come?

texts:
I was listening to some old song, "XXXXXX is a place on earth".
I was wondering whether the meaning would change if I replaced "on earth" with "in the world", so I typed these keywords on the Google search:

  In the world + meaning

And then Google told me this:

  in the world phrase of world
  1.     used to express astonishment
  or disbelief in questions.
  "why in the world did you not reveal yourself sooner?"

Does this mean that I can not use "in the world" in non-question sentences?
If I write

  I believe that there are many nice people in the world.

Is my sentence wrong then, because I use "in the world" this way?

Please help me.


texts: 'is used to thinking' vs. 'is used to think'

texts:
To an economist or a journalist who is used to thinking of a decade as long enough for entire theories to rise and fall, an age is the longest period imaginable; durable ideas can be age-old and this age is synonymous with 'this world' or 'everything'.

Can anyone explain why thinking, and not think is used in that passage?

Would it be ungrammatical replacing thinking with think?

Or, otherwise, that replacing would be grammatical but it would produce a change in meaning. If so, can anyone explain what this change in meaning is?


texts: How do I avoid using the double "that that"s in my writings?

texts:
I have a terrible habit of saying "that that"; what words can I use to mitigate this? Here are two examples:

I believe that that movie was immoral.
I went to Walgreens and found out that that lotion you were talking about is no longer on sale.


texts: What is the meaning of the word "height" in the following context?

texts:
So I wrote:

  Bennett’s ad hoc relief policies were based on the premise that the depression was a temporary, seasonal phenomenon; he was confident that unemployment would soon return to its usual levels (Ulmer 2009; Struthers 1983). By the end of 1932, however, unemployment had risen to an unprecedented height.

By "height" I wanted to mean "level": a really high rate. But I am not sure if the word can be used this way. I don't want to use level again as I used it in the previous sentence.

Collins says:

Singular noun: When an activity, situation, or organization is at its height, it is at its most successful, powerful, or intense. All examples include "at".

Plural noun: If something reaches great heights, it becomes very extreme or intense.

Cambridge says:

the height of sth: the time when a situation or event is strongest or most full of activity.

Example:
August is the height of the tourist season.
At the height of the violence/crisis we were left without any help.


texts: Why 'be' and not 'is' in the line "If it be your will that I speak no more, and my voice be still as it was before"?

texts:
If it be your will / that I speak no more / and my voice be still / as it was before.

I would like to ask why there is used "be" insted of "is" in the first verse of Leonard Cohen's song. Is it just due to rhythm or does it have something to do with grammar?


texts: "I'm caught by the tail." (I = a tiger) Does the wordplay work? Is it ambiguous?

texts:
"catch/have a tiger by the tail" is an idiom we all know.
I'm writing some quotes for a character, who is a tiger.
Can the tiger say "I'm caught by the tail"?
The sentence somewhat looks like the passive voice of "The tail catches me", doesn't it? Is it ambiguous?
If this wordplay fails, please teach me how to play it properly or recommend other wordplays about tiger.

I'm relieved that there's no ambiguity.
And I learn a new expression "caught by a part of their anatomy".
As far as I know, we should say "my tooth" not "the tooth". So why "catch a tiger by the tail" other than "catch a tiger by its tail"?


texts:
We should not be confused with any other kind of issue.

We should not be confused with any other kind of issues.

which one is grammatically right?