texts:
In some movie, someone said "Stay focus!" in English subtitle.
But I have never heard that phrase for my one year English learning period.

I only ever heard this : "Stay focused (on something)!"

Please tell me if "Stay focus" and "Stay focused" are both correct and all natural?

Hmm.. Which one do they commonly use more?


texts:
Why 'exceptional' contains the meaning of 'outstanding' but 'exception' only means 'not included'?  Same sample of 'provision' vs 'provisional'. So does a noun appended 'al' would usually get a totally different meaning?

Normally we can get a word's meaning if we understand their radical meaning. For example 'use' vs 'useful'.


texts: What does "by example" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I'm having a hard time understanding the following sentence because of by example:

  This is because religions could never have got started, let alone
  thrived, unless for the influence of men as fanatical as Moses or
  Muhammad or Joseph Kony, while charity and relief work, while they may
  appeal to tenderhearted believers, are the inheritors of modernism and
  the Enlightenment. Before that, religion was spread not by
  example but as an auxiliary to the more old-fashioned methods of
  holy war and imperialism.

I'm not sure if I should treat it as in lead by example. I don't think so but that's the closest thing I can come up with.

Assuming that it's like in lead by example, what I understand from the sentence is that before the Enlightenment, religion was spread not in a way to be looked up to/modeled on etc. but in a way that is auxiliary to ….


texts: what is the part of speech of "wider and wider"?

texts:
I saw some sentences using "wider and wider".but at times , i cannot get the part of speech or something like function of this phrase.

OP 1."Wolf's trot broke into a run, wider and wider were the leaps he made"

2."The application areas for photo electronic technology are becoming wider and wider

3."In recent years, the use of computers wider and wider in every field"

In these examples i posted , i only understand the second one.coz the usage of be/become+wider and wider" makes more sense than "sentence+wider and wider"

Can i situate this phrase within whatever position i want?.Does it function as either an adjective or an adverb?

Frankly,there are more examples using that phrase apart from the three OPs i mentioned.and i find the usage way too casual.


texts:
As I understand a verb 'pursue' has different meanings here. Am I right or maybe there is one meaming for 'persue' and 'pursue' with 'out of'?

  Cromlechs and menhirs, flint implements and neolithic graves, he
  pursued them ruthlessly; and his elder son pursued the portable trophies just as ruthlessly out of the house when he came
  into his inheritance.

THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN
by John Fowles


texts: "process used to manufacture Atinumab" vs. "manufacturing process of Atinumab"

texts:
Analysis of the stability of the process used to manufacture Atinumab, substance-solution.
Analysis of the stability of the manufacturing process of Atinumab, substance-solution.

Which one is better stylistically?

I prefer the first option, but a fellow translator said that she prefers the second.

The second option reads to me, kind of, as if Atinumab was someone who owns the process.

The sentence is actually the title of an internal document in a company, so I was aiming for clarity. Maybe I dislike a bit the triple use of the preposition "of".

"Substance-solution" is an arcane pharma phrase and is, unfortunately, part of the product's name.


texts:
I read the following news article online today: "An ugly legal battle between one of world's most popular artists and a group of nuns over a real estate turned tragic when one of the..." Why is world not preceded by "the", while it is, in the following saying: "What in the world are you saying?" Can I say, "What in world are you saying?", and "... the world's most popular...?" There are other examples where the article "the" is used in one situation, but not in another. Like,

  The earth is but one country and mankind its citizesns.

and

  Earth looks incredibly beautiful from space.

What seems to be the rule here?


texts: Is 'I was not-so-joking' correctly said?

texts:
I am writing a text in which the first sentence is a joke about my aspirations.

  Since my mom didn’t let me be a rockstar[...]

But further on I say that I play guitar on my free time, so that the first sentence wasn't a complete joke, but just a little bit.

So I wrote this:

  [...]I am usually playing my guitars (I was not-so-joking about the
  rockstar thing)[...]

I had read the "not-so-joking" construction in several books or articles (google search, of course).

So is it okay? If not, what would be the right way to express it?


texts: How many apples are there or How many apples there are?

texts:
When I want to ask how many apples there is in the refrigerator, what is the correct sentence?

  1) How many apples are there?

  2) How many apples there are?

I asked this question because because that I know that questions that open them-self with question words they don't need question form in the following. For example: "Do you think that I am correct" (compare with: "do you think that am I correct" that is incorrect) but in this case that I raise here I have a doubt.


texts: comma usage: "My sister Hannah" vs "My sister, Hannah"

texts:
My sister Hannah is ten years old.
My sister, Hannah is ten years old.
My sister, Hannah, is ten years old.

As far as I know, only the third example is correct because my sister(Hannah) is one and only being so you don't need to restrict it as "My wife, Lucy, is a beautiful woman" goes.

This is true even if there are many sisters besides Hannah.

And it is different from "My friend Jeff is a good guy" because I have many friends besides Jeff.

Am I right about this?


texts:
Which sentence is Correct Among both

How much will you pay for me
How you will pay for me


texts: What is the difference between "reporter" and "anchorperson"?

texts:
I'd like to know the difference between reporter and anchorperson. They are listed as synonyms in some dictionaries. (For example, the Online Oxford Dictionary lists "reporter" as a synonym of "anchor" https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/anchor)

In addition, the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary defines reporter as follows:

  reporter: a person who writes news stories for a newspaper, magazine, etc., or who tells people the news on radio or television

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/reporter

But an anchorperson also tells people the news on TV. Would that mean an anchorperson is necessarily a reporter?


texts: "Studying the variation of these rate functions" or "Studying the variations of these rate functions"

texts:
I am trying to express the following idea: "studying the variation of function f1 and the variation of function f2 w.r.t. the number of active users N is essential for ....". Note that we can use these functions instead of f2 and f1.
Here is my attempt:

  Studying the variation of these rate functions w.r.t. the number of active users N is essential for ...

In this attempt, should I use variation or variations? is or are ?


texts: Why did not delete the ‘it' in the sentence ' Unless ..., have a professional check it.'

texts:
Why did not delete the ‘it' in the sentence ' Unless the owner can present recent certification that the house is free of termites, have a professional check it.'

I think this sentence is not right unless the 'it' be deleted.


texts: Should I use past perfect for these sentences?

texts:
1) Two days after I went to school, I got sick (Two days after I had gone to school, I got sick)

2) I went to school two days ago, and I got sick (I had gone to school two days ago, and I got sick)

3) Two days later, I went to school, and then I got sick (Two days later, I had gone to school, and then I got sick)


texts:
I was reading a grammar book called Essential Grammar in Use. As for the usage of "Will" it gives the examples bellow:

  Sue travels a lot. Today she is in Madrid. Tomorrow she'll be in Rome. Next week she'll be in Tokyo.

  You can phone me this evening. I'll be at home.

  Leave the old bread in the garden. The birds will eat it.

  We'll probably go out this evening.

  Will you be at home this evening?

  I won't be here tomorrow.

  Don't drink coffee before you go to bed. You won't sleep.

I read on many websites that when we use will for future decisions, it means that our decision is made at the time of speaking. Now, my question is, in this example "You can phone me this evening. I'll be at home.", is 'being at home' is a decision the speaker made? If so, could it be one made at the time of speaking?


texts:
FYI. There is referring to a picture of teens smoking.

"Her friends asked her to smoke and she seemed to be unsure."

Why can I not use present simple?

Should I use past perfect "had asked"?

"Her friends ask her to smoke and she seems to be unsure."

Why can I use present progressive and not present simple?  It seems odd to me in present simple.

Which brings me to another question.  When speaking about a photo, could I shift between tenses?

"My mom danced a lot.  Didn't she seem to have a good time?"
"He talked to Jessica all night.  I think he likes her."

Since the picture was in the past and my thought process is of the present, it makes sense to me that I would.


texts: What is the difference between two sentences and which one is grammatically correct?

texts: 1).This town isn’t very well known and there isn’t much to see  so a few tourists come here.   2).  This town isn’t very well known and there isn’t much to see so  few tourists come here.


texts:
I'm writing a "how I make a salad" list for school and I want to say:

  "First I go buy the   ingredients...."

but I don't know if I should write;

  "First I go to buy the ingredients....."

Notice the difference between them as the preposition "to" is written before "buy" on the latter. Well I have my doubts because normally I would say "I go buy" not "I go to buy" as in "I've gotta go buy something" but I have to be formal and grammatical since it's for school not for a friend so I need your advice on this.


texts: meaning of the phrase "if we are to do something"?

texts:
Here is the context:

  First, we have to understand the nature of the virus, if we are to overcome it.

Does it mean if we want to overcome it?


texts: Why do we, at times, follow colon by consecutive full stops?

texts:
Let me reproduce a text:

  I have three answers:

  M is N.
  N is O.
  O is P.

In the above text, three answers that follow are parts of the same sentence. This is evident from ":" (colon) used in the first part of the sentence. If so, then how does each of the three answers that follow the first part of the sentence take a  "." (full stop)?


texts: "using these functions as an example" vs "using these functions as examples"

texts:
using these functions as an example

or

  using these functions as examples

Should it be examples, or an example is also okay?

The point is that, we need only to use one of them as an example.


texts: What is the meaning of difficult sentence?

texts:
Source

  the Alliance follows, mentioning the war for system-wide control --
  the War of Independence, as it's known to the losing opposition, the
  Browncoats.

Quite didn't understand this statement.


texts:
When someone is turning the bike,what will be a natural way to say that ( not left or right but around).

  Do you know how to turn a bike?

  Do you know how to turn a bike around?

What sounds natural ?


texts: How shoud I interpret a 'breach letter' in this case?

texts:
Let's assume there was a car accident, specifically on the bus ride so it's not your fault, and you received a letter below. (Idk who is the sender, only that it is related to the accident)  What does the breach letter mean in this case?
I searched the meaning of a breach letter and it says it is 'a letter sent before accelerating the loan and proceeding with foreclosure'. But.. in this case, it doesn't make sense to me;

+edit : Oh, I'm not the recipient of the letter so I can't read what this 'attached' breach letter says. Someone asked about this case and I also got curious about what the breach letter is supposed to mean here in this context :]

Please see the attached breach letter.
If you could please contact me at your earliest convenience on 0001-000-1111 to discuss your claim that would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Is the number of year plus s used as an adj?

texts:
For a sentence from a ACT English test:

Her goal was to revive the literary boom of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance of which she had been a part.

So my question is, since there is no comma after "1920s", does that mean it functions as an adjective?


texts:
Is the sentence

  "Based on what did you decide that I'm intelligence"

equals to the following sentence?

  "According to what you decided that I'm intelligence"

If not, can you give me an example to such sentence with correct using in phrase "according to what"?


texts: "31 million answers compared to 11 million" or 11 millions?

texts:
I read on https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/361097/178179:

[Stack Overflow has] more than 31 million answers, compared to 11 million for the rest of the network.

Should million be in plural of singular form? I don't know what the correct rule is here since "answers" implicitly follows million.


texts: What's the meaning of "aeroplane of light"?

texts:
I found a sentence in one story.

  According to the records of Reverend General Vicar of Leiria, one of the eyewitnesses, the lady came in an ‘aeroplane of light, an immense globe, flying westwards, at moderate speed. It radiated a very bright light’.

Does it mean an aeroplane which is full of light around it?


texts:
Could you please explain me which option should I use?

  I would like to have a green house with rare plants from all over the world. I could take care of them (myself / by myself)?

And why?


texts:
I saw this sentence in an article

  For the average web user, web content extraction is better served by direct and visual wrapper construction rather than unsupervised wrapper induction.

As I searched we also can say For an average web user, what is the application of "the" in that phrase? What is its difference with "for an average web user"?


texts: What's the difference between " It is helpful for you to read English every day." and "It is helpful for you reading English every day."

texts:
It is helpful for you to read English every day.
    It is helpful for you reading English every day.

What's the difference between them?


texts:
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/okey-doke

If "okey dokey", "okey-dokey", or "okey-doke" just mean okay, then I wonder where the "doke(y)" comes from and what it originally means?

Can I use it in this way?
A: Do you agree with her idea, or not?
B: Okey dokey


texts:
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the following on the issue of rising crime in the UK:

  "We are committed to rolling up the evil county lines drugs gangs. . . . which predate on young kids and send them to die in the streets to feed the cocaine habits of the bourgeoisie."

Does "to rolling up" mean "to defeat"?

Source: PM Boris: ‘Bourgeoisie’ Cocaine Users Fuelling Killing of Children on Streets of Britain


texts:
vanity market
vanity blonde girl

What is the right meaning of vanity fair?
Could anyone tell me?


texts:
Here are, suppose, two sentences:

  Before she went to college, Bridget waited tables to save up for her tuition.

  Before she went to college, Bridget had waited tables to save up
  for her tuition.

Are both of them correct? Is using Past Perfect mandatory?


texts: How to ask someone about my position in a waiting list?

texts:
Suppose that your name is in a waiting list. Now you want to know how many persons are ahead of you. How would you ask that? Does it make any sense to say something like:

  Would you tell me how my position is in the waiting-list now?

Consider that the waiting list is a ranked list prioritized according to the time people submitted their request.


texts: Is there any difference between "go over something" and "go back over something" in the sense of reviewing something?

texts:
Is there any difference between go over something and go back over something in the sense of reviewing something? For example:

If you want to pass the exam, you had better go over what you have gone through so far.

If you want to pass the exam, you had better go back over what you have gone through so far.


texts: "How should such an application of results from mathematical models, as presented in this paper, look like?"

texts:
Is the above sentence correct?

In particular, is it OK to put the "like" at the end or is there a better option?
Moreover, should it be "... of results of mathematical models ..."? In my opinion, "of results from" sounds better as there is only one "of", but I am not sure whether it is correct.

Thank you!


texts:
I did a lot of research on internet regarding the connotation of word shrewd. It can have negative as well as positive connotation.It depends on the context of the passage. For instance,

  A shrewd real estate agent

  A shrewd business man

Another usage of shrewd is for decisions, policies, judgements etc. Well, I was looking for this particular usage on dictionary and found this.
Second usage has confused me a bit as it is mentioned that shrewd activities are marked as artful and cunning practices. Now the word cunning has purely negative connotation. So I want to know how do native speakers use this word? Specially I am confused about its usage with activities. For Instance - a shrewd policy or a shrewd decision. An example for negative usage of shrewd could be this sentence

  The union was known for its shrewd negotiating tactics. (calculating, underhanded)

  On Twitter, he said it was a “brutal conspiracy and a shrewd scheme” that allowed Mr. Modi’s “suit-boot friends to convert their black money into white”.


texts:
I asked the following question:

Do all English language schools in your city believe that all people can learn English if they want to?

He replied:

I think so.

What does that phrase "I think so" mean? How is it different from the answer "Yes"?


texts: What's the adjective word for "full of resource, lots of sample"?

texts:
I was wondering if there are any adjective for the following:

  "full of resource that I can refer from"

example conversation:

  Person A: I'm not sure which computer language I should start learning. What do you think? A or B?

  Person B: You should go with B. Because B is more xxxxful.

  (= B language has much more resouces/references that you can learn
  from)


texts:
I stumbled upon the phrase focusing on the warts in a blog post. The post is about a programming tool git.

Following is the context of the phrase:

  Rather than focusing on the warts, I hope this post will explain to newcomers the Places Model that will help motivate Git is complicated (and yet amazing).

I've searched ODO and UrbanDictionary with no luck.

Also, I found it's a widely used phrase with a Google search.
I can guess its meaning was focus on the difficult, ugly part of sth. But I'm not sure my understanding is accurate.

Hope someone could give me a definite explanation.


texts:
It seems that the following examples are of different grammatical status::

  a. ?Mary is waiting for him upon his arrival.

  b. There is a letter waiting for him upon his arrival.

  c. Mary is waiting to give John a book upon his arrival.

Why is a odd but b and c okay?


texts:
But New York changed, and the Navy Yard became known as a place where you could still do manufacturing in the city.But New York changed, and the Navy Yard became known as a place where you could still do manufacturing in the city. Film-production companies, fabricators, distillers, and tech firms have all moved in. Here is the all context.

  But New York changed, and the Navy Yard became known as a place where you could still manufacture in the city.But New York changed, and the Navy Yard became known as a place where you could still do manufacturing in the city. Film-production companies, fabricators, distillers, and tech firms have all moved in. Here is the all context.

But New York changed, and the Navy Yard became known as a place where you could still do manufacturing in the city.
Is there any difference between two sentence in meaning ? Can I use ''do+verb+ing'' instead of verb itself?


texts: Input (did not flow / was not flowed) in the system

texts:
I could not see the input in the system which I downloaded from other system. It was an automated process once clicked on download button.

I Want to inform it to system admin. How could I say?

  a) Input did not flow in the system.

  b) Input was not flowed in the system.

Confusion here because I think we can not use passive voice because process is not involve any Agent. so according to me Sentence a) is correct.
But can my sentence b) used as stative sentences. e.g.
Input was not flowed in the system when he called. so I asked him to wait.


texts: What is the difference of "use", "utilize" and "employ"

texts:
The situation is I'm writing a paper, and I want to use different words to express the meaning of "adopt" a method or approach.

All the three words "use", "utilize" and "employ" have the meaning of

to make use of something

So, is there any difference of the three words in aspect of expressing this meaning. And is there a best word to use in some specific conditions?


texts: Is "to become" used as "to make" synonym in the sentence?

texts:
The sentence is

  Enabling change throughout our business to become people and
  planet positive.

from IKEA sustainability report


texts: Do I have to use multiple "that"s for the multiple clauses?

texts:
Which is correct between the followings?

  We assume that (clause), and that (clause).

  We assume that (clause), and (clause).

My sentence is as follows:

  We define a function f with respect to x, which indicates performance of the computer. We assume that the function f is a quadratic form, and that the larger the function value is, the better the performance is.


texts:
My little sister asked me to join the wooden track pieces (train) together,  after a while, I found that she had spread the train tracks all across the floor.

  You asked me to put these together and  you've broken them already?

(Not literally "broken", I want it to mean that the track is broken; all the pieces of the track are spread all over the floor and not as a complete train's track)

What is a natural way to express their two bold words? ("Put together" And "Break")

And if it is not spread all over the floor,  it's something like this:


texts:
For dinner we like chicken and stir fried vegetables.

Or do I need to say "fried chicken and stir fried vegetables"?


texts: "They're just off two years puttin' down revolts."

texts:
I am wondering what off here means in this line from the movie The Alamo and what is this usage. It's a scene of three Texans chatting about the Mexican army marching before them.

  Man A: That's the best-dressed army I ever saw.

  Man B: Fancy clothes don't make a fightin' man.

  Man C: They're just off two years puttin' down revolts. They're fightin' men.

Prepositions are difficult. I have never see off used this way. What does it mean here?


texts: I was in a meeting vs I was at a meeting

texts:
What's correct?

  a) I was in a meeting

  b) I was at a meeting

I saw uses in both of them, but I'm not sure what's correct.


texts:
I use the same books that my sister used.

Does this mean the book my sister really used or the same kind of books like the same brands ?


texts:
To pull by the most common definition means (by Merriam-Webster)

  to exert force upon so as to cause motion toward the force

so it is understandable (to me) that to pull a show/license indicates to cancel a show/license (as in to pull a show out of a pre-determined schedule or to pull a license out of its utility)

But to pull a robbery means to commit/carry out a robbery, which seems VERY different from the most common meaning of the verb.

So does pulling a request (a general use, not an IT-elated computer jargon) means.

  the request will be cancelled (i.e. pulled away from a system)

or

  the request will be carried out

To put the term in context, I realized the term in my case actually probably means to "carrying out the request", not "cancelling the request". Can a native speaker confirm it ?

  "Typically cell requests are pulled once every day in the morning. So if you put in a request in the afternoon, it will be pulled the next morning".

Based on this, it means

a request can be pulled to a "execution list" or a "disregard list", which depends on the context and can be truly confusing. Is this correct ?


texts:
His head moves up and down.
  His head moves down and up.

Do we have to use #1? What about #2? Can we use both?


texts: use of 'all' with a possessive adjective

texts:
What is the right way to use the determiner 'all' with a possessive adjective e.g. my, your, etc? What is placed first? all or P. Adj?
A.  His all habits were unique.
B. All his habits were unique.
Is A wrong?


texts: "Had to" vs. "must" for requirement in the past

texts:
I know that "have to" can mean "must" and that "must" can be used in the past, but in the below sentence I don't understand why "had to" is the correct answer.

  When I was going to university, I _____ find a part time job to earn some
  pocket money, because my family was not rich.

  had to
  must
  should


texts: "Have you seen James's Guitar? " Where's the error here?

texts:
I failed to find mistake in the following sentences:

Have you seen James's Guitar?

I found this as an MCQ in a book. but I didn't get any explanation of the mistakes. Kindly help me to find the error.


texts: How to refer back to the just mentioned subject?

texts:
I wrote:

  Syntactic parsing is a basic task in natural language processing and the grammar plays a crucial role in this ??.

First I would like to know how to fill the gap (??). I thought of "regard", "respect", "task", "ground", or nothing and just "this".

Second I don't know if I should use "the grammar" or "grammars" or maybe "grammar" here.


texts: Should there be two commas in the construction so ... so ... that (intensifier)?

texts:
Here's an example:

  Her deception had been so deep, so disappointing(,) that he swore
  never to speak to her again.

Should there be a second comma there? I'm sure you need a comma if you write that sentence like this:

  Her deception had been so deep, so disappointing, he swore
  never to speak to her again.

But since there's a that there, I'm not very sure.


texts:
I have a rather unusual question about English for native speakers.
Recently a friend of mine showed me a book to learn my native language (non-English obviously) and I saw a section about "auxiliary verbs". The author of this book wrote that these verbs lose their original meaning in certain situations and, they are only used to mark the grammatical form. I was surprised by this because for me, as a native user, these verbs still had their original meaning in all showed examples.
I started to wonder if a similar situation exists in English for native speakers. In English we have the word "have" which can be used in several contexts:

I have (possession) a car.
I have (possession?) work to do.
I have (aux verb) never eaten pizza like this before.
I have (aux verb) been living there since I was born.
I have (aux verb) broken my leg.

I would like you to answer me by describing your feelings instead of focusing on grammar. When you read the above sentences, does the word "have" mean the same thing to you in each of these cases (possession), or does it lose its meaning?


texts: What does "golden thread" mean in this sentence?

texts:
Our golden thread is always to streamline our processes and to continuously raise the bar for ourselves in everything we do.

I cannot find an appropriate explanation for "golden thread" in the dictionary. Is "golden thread" similar to "recipe for success"?

And is it an idiomatic expression or made-up phrase?


texts: express the meaning of "emotional high" in a more formal way

texts:
A nice answer to the meaning of sensory experience says

  the happiness resulting from the successful solving of a math problem is not termed a "sensory experience." Rather, it is sometimes called an "emotional high", because happiness is an emotion.

That answer is clear and easy to understand.

"Emotion High" seems to be some kind of street language. I just worried if it is acceptable to use the phrase "emotional high" in some more formal situations, such as IELTS test?

I guess "passionate" and "enthusiastic" are acceptable for IELTS test, though I concerned they are a lit bit stronger than the emotion resulting from the successful solving of a math problem.

Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts:
I found this image:

in this blog-post.

There are two corners in the image: the leftmost is an "inside corner" and the rightmost is an "outside corner".

Are there single words (nouns) that can be used for "inside corner" and "outside corner"?


texts: "Not enough memory" vs. "no enough memory"

texts:
Which is correct? Why?

Not enough memory
No enough memory

The first variant seems to be significantly more popular on the Internet than the second one.

I want to use such construction as an error message in the program. I think it is a short version of the sentence "There is not enough memory".


texts: Trouble finding the nouns for a paragraph

texts:
So, i am trying to find 3 key nouns, 3 pronouns that refer to them and synonyms that are substitutes for them. These are for a paragraph in school, but I am really in trouble with it. This is the paragraph and is called "A Mardi Gras Custom":

  (1)  “Throw me something, mister,” is the customary plea for a Mardi
  Gras “throw.”  (2)  In the final days of Mardi Gras -- the season of
  parties, parades, and revelry that precedes the Christian period of
  fasting and penance called Lent -- crowds of spectators line the
  streets of New Orleans.  (3)  They hope to catch a Mardi Gras souvenir
  tossed from parading floats.  (4)  Mardi Gras organizations called
  “krewes” build the floats and sponsor the parades, and while cruising
  along parade routes, costumed krewe members throw plastic trinkets to
  the crowds below.  (5)  The trinkets, which are called “throws,”
  consist of bead necklaces, coins, cups, toys, Frisbees, and figurines
  stamped with the krewe’s symbol or the parade theme.  (6)  Mardi Gras
  throws are big business for the companies that supply them.  (7)
  Krewe members spend an average of $800 on them, and some spend much
  more.  (8)  By far the most treasured of the Mardi Gras mementos are
  gaudy bead necklaces.  (9)  Originally made of glass, they are now
  made of plastic (Roach, 2001).

The only noun that I found that has a pronoun ("They", in the third sentence) but I can't find a synonym for it, is "spectators" (second sentence). I don't need you to find me the answers.

I just want to understand how to find them.


texts:
Outstanding

  prominent; conspicuous; striking
  marked by superiority or distinction; excellent; distinguished
  standing out; projecting:

From what I have come across, this word is normally used in a positive connotation. To use it in a negative connotations, we attach negative words with it like "outstandingly bad", "outstandingly filthy" etc.

So my question is : Is "outstanding" by itself always used in a positive connotation or are there exceptions to this?

For Example:

  It was outstanding how Joe beat me up after I corrected his grammar. He is not an aggressive person at all.

Is the use of outstanding incorrect in the above sentence?


texts: "Doing" or "finishing" one's military service

texts:
Which one of the following verbs sound normal to you:

  Have you done your military service?
  Have you finished your military service?

For me both sound idiomatic and natural.


texts: Why "Google Translate" instead of "Google Translation/Translator"?

texts: Why has Google named  its translation service "Google Translate"? Wouldn't "Google Translation" or "Google Translator" be more natural?


texts: Difference between "dealer" and "concessionaire"

texts:
In a system for control sales of vehicles, which is the appropriate word. Dealer or concessionaire? In order to refer to a place where they do sell vehicles.

What are the differences?


texts: No Articles for countable and definable words

texts:
Source

Have a contractor apply ( ) water proofing material from ( ) grade level down.

Why do you think "material" and "level" are without an article?


texts:
In the usage samples of can't wait I have found this description:

  can't wait - to be excited about something ("I can't wait for the
  birthday party!").

The meaning is not quite clear. Is it the present (I'm already on the party and I'm exceited about how it's going) or the future (The party is going to start in the future and there's an air of expectencies).

To me it seems that the second one is correct. I'm not sure if we the first usage is even accaptable.

If we say I can't wait for sth is it always an upcoming future event or it may be releated to a present activity as well?


texts: which tense should we use in these conditional sentences?

texts:
These 2 sentences are in my course book but I doubt its accuracy and I have to choose one of them. It's under zero/first conditional category.

which one is correct and why

  1) Don't worry. Rob will have passed the exam if he studied enough.

  2) Don't worry. Rob has passed the exam if he studied enough.

please tell me if both are correct with differences in meaning or

If none of them are correct, give me the right form.


texts:
A scooter / a motorbike often has 2 supporting structures to help itself to stand alone.

1- The 1st supporting structure could be a V or U shape steel one that helps the scooter / motorbike stand up straight without leaning aside. It seems like people call it "kick stand". See the 2 pictures below:

2- The 2nd supporting structure could be a steel bar that helps the the scooter / motorbike to stand by itself but not up straight. The scooter / motorbike may lean a bit to the side that has that steel bar. It seems like people call it "defensive spike".

What are they called: the kick stands and the defensive spike of a scooter / motorbike?

Or do we have more general terms  for them?


texts:
I am looking for some word, verb actually, to complete this sentence  -

  My stomach, still heavy from late afternoon lunch was __

In the blank I need some verb that will idiomatically say that my stomach is unwilling to take any food to the point of being thrown up.


texts:
I'm not sure if this question is okay to be posted to ell.se, as I don't know if it is obvious for native speakers or not, that:

physics and mathematics both ends with '-ics', while sociology and psychology end with '-logy'.

  definition from dictionary.com:

  -logy: a combining form used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledge;

  -ics: a suffix of nouns that denote a body of facts, knowledge, principles, etc.

My current conclusion is that '-ics' is for subjects that involve more practical works, whereas '-logy' is for those who deal with theoretical knowledges.

But 'biology', seemingly, doesn't fit in my conclusion.


texts: Poroshenko’s role is to reassure... - why the infinitive form?

texts:
Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/foreign-affairs-defense/battle-for-ukraine/what-comes-next-in-ukraine/

He seems to be performing quite well. Poroshenko’s role is to reassure the nationalists that there will be no sell out, while on the other hand making a deal with Russia, which at least to a certain extent will be a sell out. It’s a difficult political balance to keep. Poroshenko also has to be a bullish negotiator with Moscow and know that Moscow does not treat weak positions with respect.

How would the meaning of the sentence change if I left out the to particle like this:

Poroshenko’s role is  reassure the nationalists that there will be no sell out, while on the other hand making a deal with Russia, which at least to a certain extent will be a sell out.

Would the meaning still be the same or is there some kind of little nuance that makes a big difference to the sentence if you change the infinitive form to its bare form without the to particle?
And now please take a look at these two sentences:

1: The last thing the 'if' statement does is break the loop when a word is found". How can you explain this usage?
2: The location numbers on the map's eastern edge are 2, 5, and 8. If you divide any of those numbers by 3, you'll get a remainder of 2. So all you need to do is use the modulus operator to check for this, and you can tell whether or not the player is on the very eastern edge of the map.

Are they correct? How do all these three sentences stack up against each other?


texts:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/vi/dictionary/english/boutique?q=boutique+

As part of that push, the firm hopes to broaden its reach in wealth management to the so-called mass affluent. For years, the bank has mostly targeted clients with at least $25 million to invest for white-glove service from its private wealth management group. Then last year, Goldman acquired boutique wealth management firm United Capital to help it serve single-digit millionaires.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/22/goldman-sachs-once-reserved-for-the-rich-is-close-to-offering-wealth-management-for-the-masses.html


texts: What’s the difference between these two sentences?

texts:
I came across the following sentence ”the downsides to this type of job WOULD be numerous.” Would it be incorrect if I said: ”The downsides to this type of job ARE numerous.” What’s the meaning of the auxiliary verb ”would” in the first sentence?
Thanks, Emilia


texts:
This passage is a much fuller account of the coming of the Elves
  Gelmir and Arminas to Nargothrond in the year of its fall (The
  Silmarillion pp. 211-12); for their earlier encounter with Tuor in
  Dor-lómin, which is referred to here, see pp. 23-24 above.

This is some of the editor's comment from Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien

I couldn't find relevant definition when I referred to the dictionary.
If it were which refers the readers to here, it feels make sense.
Could you explain or give me some example of this usage, please?


texts: "Whole evenings doing X vs "whole evenings of doing X."

texts:
Are the two the same? Or they have different meanings?

Example:

  It used to be worse; whole evenings crying and yelling.

  It used to be worse; whole evenings of crying and yelling.

I used to think that the construction with of was incorrect. But I found that usage on Google.


texts:
What is the difference between imagine someone/something as something and imagine someone/something to be something . Can I use them interchangeably?

Examples :

1-I imagine him as a distinguished old gentleman.

2-I think they imagine the company to be bigger than it is.


texts: Can I use "so that" or "such that" and "to"?

texts:
I wrote:

  ..., In this paper, we propose an XML scheme and a tool for converting these treebanks to XML. We designed the scheme so/such that to facilitate querying linguistic data using XQuery.

I know its probably wrong, but how can I use "so that" or "such that" here? To mean we designed the scheme (such) to facilitate .....


texts:
When you serve a guest at a party or take an order from a customer at a restaurant, you could say:

  What can I get you?

OR

  What can I get for you?

Is there any difference in meaning between the two?

Which is more natural?

Some of the variations I can think of include:

  What can I get (for) you today?

  What can I get (for) you to drink?


texts:
This is the last paragraph extracted from the link http://www.livestrong.com/article/479103-is-eating-raw-spinach-good-for-you/

What does or you risk means? Does it mean that if i wash ( at home) the "pre-washed" labelled spinach's i might get the risk of bacteria contamination from kitchen or hands, according to the report.?

  Cooking spinach thoroughly is the most effective way to avoid food poisoning. But washing each leaf separately can lower health risks, making it relatively safe to eat raw, according to a 2009 report by ABC News. If the package of raw spinach you purchase is labeled “pre-washed,” “triple washed” or “ready-to-eat,” don’t wash the spinach, or you risk contaminating the spinach with bacteria from your kitchen or hands, according to the report. Also, don’t buy spinach if it is bruised or damaged.

NOTE: Please first respond whether my interpretation is correct or not.


texts:
My uncle has DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease). He took treatments you know therapy, medication and stuff and has been all well for a year and now he's complaining about the same pain he had a year ago because he picked up a heavy load last week.

What English verb can be used to describe a disease coming back (usually after an improvement)? I'd be glad to put an example here to provide the context but I'm not sure how this verb is used in a sentence i.e. with a personal subject here my uncle or an impersonal one like DDD here.


texts:
I'm stuck with a sentence from GRE test.

  Researchers analyzing refuse from one Pueblo community found remains of maize — a Peublo crop — in 44 percent of samples from years when the community flourished, but in only 10 percent of samples from years near the time of depopulation, while the remains of wild plants increased significantly.

In the above passage, I confused the meaning of the bold sentence.
It means that remains of maize is 44 percent? Or they found them in 44 percent of samples (they don't know the real percentage of remains)?


texts: What is the missing verb and conjunction in "I'd sooner he never knock than knock now"?

texts:
Fire like fear, like panic, like one more minute of this and I'll die if he doesn't knock at my door, but I'd sooner he never knock than knock now. ("Call Me by Your Name")

I am aware of the idiom "I'd sooner do sth" that means "used for saying what you would prefer to do." I understand the syntactic structure of it where the main verb is "do," the adverb is "sooner," and the auxiliary verb is "would."
However, in this case, the syntactic construction I interpret is "[subject]+[auxiliary verb]+[adverb]+[ANOTHER SUBJECT] +[adverb]+[verb]," where I feel like a verb and a conjunction are missing.


texts: Is 'He reflected himself in the mirror' a correct sentence?

texts:
He reflected himself in the mirror.

I wrote this myself.
Can you explain what this sentence means?
Is this correct or incorrect?


texts: Someone kindly interpret the following text completion:

texts:
In this day and age, side show barkers, competing with the
unfathomable number of spectacular oddities daily displayed on the
Internet for free, must increasingly lard their pitches with flights
of fancy and soaring ______ , arching far beyond reality, to fill the
seats in their arcades.

##Answer for the blank:
hyperboles
I understood nothing of the passage as i'm not a native english speaker. Someone please interpret this in layman's terms.


texts:
As I have read that the noun "food" is generally uncountable, I am not quite sure when I should use "food" as a countable noun.

For instance,

  Chicken and rice are food

or

  Chicken and rice are foods

Could I use a number in front of foods?

  Chicken and rice are two foods?

Should we use food or foods here?


texts: Why is "Why did she washed her hairs?" incorrect?

texts:
"Why did she washed her hairs?"

What's wrong with this sentence?


texts:
The north side, as political aficionados if not tourists will know, has the Treasury, appropriately forbidding.
But the west? Somewhat incongruously, in a jolly, almost orangey brick, half of it houses the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

In this quote of the end of the 1st and the start of the 2nd paragraph, jolly is a noun. Yet these two don't apply: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/jolly#jolly-2 and

(plural jollies) (UK) a pleasure trip or excursion?


texts:
Say, I'm writing a letter about some plan:

  We are about to start next round of testing tomorrow.

  Current plan is:

  team A does something
  team B does something else
  etc.

Do I need to put "The" before "Current"? From my point of view the article is excessive, as "current" is defining enough.


texts:
(1) I wondered what she was crying for.
  (2) I wondered why she was crying.

Are (1) and (2) exchangeable? Is 'what for' identical to ‘why’ in this context?


texts:
Below sentence is a conversation of Hermione in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret.

  Slytherin lead: A gift from Draco's father.

  Draco: You see, Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best.

  Hermione: At least no one on the Gryffindor team had "to buy their way in".
  They got in on pure talent.

  Draco: No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood.

What is the role of in on?

Does it mean the same as

  They got pure talent.

In addition to that what is the meaning of the phrase "to buy their way in"

I know conversation differs from the grammar. Is it possible to use the same in written form? It would be more helpful if someone explains this with examples.

Note: Additional information has been added, and one more question is also raised.


texts: Is author talking about past or future possibility with "If I sit… a stranger could"

texts:
If I sit in the middle, a stranger could sit next to me

In the context, "If I sit in the middle" is present tense. How to find out if author talking about past possibility or future possibility?


texts: How do you say that "nails are nailed all over the surface of a cylinder"?

texts:
I want to say something, but the resulting sentence is way too long and awkward, so I was wondering if there was a way to express that nails are nailed all over the surface of a cylinder.

Here's an example sentence:

  Nails are nailed all over the surface of the hollowed cylinder such
  that if you were to put your finger inside of it you would likely get
  hurt.

Is there a better and more concise way of saying this?


texts:
"fault with me" or "fault of me" – which is correct in the given below sentences?  I want to know which preposition, I have should use.

  1) I always forget your book to bring. This is the fault with me.
  2) I always forget your book to bring. This is the fault of me.


texts: Revolutions can, and often have, begun with reading - why "begun", why not "begin"?

texts:
Revolutions can, and often have, begun with reading.

I am curious to know about the use of the verb "begun" here. Though I am not saying it's wrong, but it can also be "begin". I see it this way. When deciding the form of verb in these kind of construction, I break the sentences and the choose the form of the verb.

For example -

  I can, and definitely will, do it.

Consider the sentence. When I write the verb "do", I think of which form of "do" will be proper here. So I break the sentence - "I can do it" and "I will definitely do it". And in both the sentences the verb "do" is common. So I take the verb form "do" in "I can, and definitely will, do it".

But when it came to this sentence I can't use the above mentioned method to decide the verb.

  Revolutions can, and often have, begun with reading. (This is quoted from an article)

Now if I try to break the sentence into two it comes down to - "Revolution can begin with reading" and "Revolution often have begun with reading". In both sentences two form is used - "begin" and "begun", so it gives the confusion which form of the verb we should use in the final sentence.

Please help.


texts:
I intend to say in the following statement that good people should pledge not to be silent and the righteous should win over the non-deserving. I'm not sure if the 'not' is being extended to the second part of the sentence.

Let the good people pledge to not be silent and let the non-deserving win over the righteous.

If the sentence is not right, then how to correct this? (Adding an extra 'not' after and'?)

Can you describe the scenarios, if there's any, when the influence of 'not' extends across to the second sub-clause?


texts: is the sentence "leave alone to her" grammatically correct?

texts:
I know the sentence "Leave her alone" is grammatically correct and common, but can you say "Leave alone to her"? It doesn't sound right but maybe it's grammatically correct?
I'm trying to translate a Spanish song into English and the most common sentence doesn't match the rhyme


texts: When something gives you a needed boost and subsequently recharges you

texts:
Please imagine following your work-out and when you feel depleted, you need a very nutritious food like a protein shake. You have it and after drinking your shake, you feel too better in comparison with several minutes ago and you feel you've got the lost energy.

Or

imagine you are really tired and someone gives you a massage and you enjoy a lot and feel energetic and then want to indicate your feelings.

Or

imagine in summertime you have exercised / worked etc. a lot and feel tired and someone gives you a cold beverage and you want to thank them.

Why I brought up them all in one single question?

Because in our language we have a multilateral, informal idiom which can be used in all of the situations I painted above.
Which one of the following idioms work in all of my scenarios in AmE:

  That massage really / Drinking that protein shake / That cold beverage really:

  a) livened me up

  b) gave me a needed boost

  c) recharged me

  d) brought me back to life


texts: "severe" as a verb: is it acceptable usage?

texts:
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word "severe" is not a verb, but an adjective.

However, the word "severe" seems to have been used as a verb in the sentence below:

  She has severed contact with her family, worried that the militants will punish them for her escape.

Is this usage widely accepted? Or should I deem it as just a tiny grammatical error?

Source


texts: Using "the" instead of "a" for something that isn't a specific object

texts:
I've been curious about this for a while.

Generally, one uses "the" if they mean a specific object ("The copy of Lord of the Rings I bought yesterday") instead of any object that fits a description ("I have a copy of Lord of the Rings").

However I've seen "the" used in some cases where the phrase doesn't refer to a specific object. I've noticed it mostly being about technology, such as "This game requires the Classic Controller" (seen on some Wii Virtual Console games). While saying "This game requires a Classic Controller" seems to be correct as well, using "the" doesn't feel wrong either.

The controller's page on Wikipedia also uses "the": Classic Controller

What is the rule that allows the use of "the" in this context?

I presume it has something to do with "Classic Controller" being a proper noun.


texts:
Are these Dummy subjects?

It was nice to see him

It's obvious that in this sentence "It" is a dummy subject and the sentence can be reconstructed as "To see him was nice".

But what about this:
It is time to watch

Is the case same here as in the first one? Can it be reconstructed to "To watch is time"?

Also wanna ask something additional:
We were happy to see each other
Now what happens in this sentence? "to see" is something lie a complement to the adjective "happy"?

Some other examples like this one:
He is ready to play, She is prepared to play the piano


texts:
Are these two sentences different in meaning?

They got him wondering if he should not have given up.

They got him wondering if he should have given up.

According to me, they got him wondering about the same thing, but how can it be that the presence or absence of not can be so irrelevant?


texts:
I would like to hear from native speakers if it's okay to use Mx. in a formal email to a person whose sex you don't know? Is Mx. used in English?

P.s. What to write after Mx. if you don't know his name either?

I was thinking of Mx. Stranger.


texts: "I read your diary" vs. "I have been reading your diary"

texts: If someone says: "I am sorry, but I read your diary", it means that person read the entire diary, right? Wouldn't it be better to say "I have been reading your diary" if they want to express they have read parts of it and not everything?


texts: How can a citizenship solemnization be 'religious'?

texts:
[Source:] CEREMONIAL PROCEDURES OF CITIZENSHIP JUDGES

  17. (1) The ceremonial procedures to be followed by citizenship judges shall be appropriate to impress on new citizens the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a citizenship judge shall, during a ceremony held for the presentation of certificates of citizenship,
  ...

  (b) subject to subsection 22(1), administer the oath of citizenship with dignity and solemnity, allowing the greatest possible freedom in the religious solemnization or the solemn affirmation thereof;

I'm guessing that the Canada citizenship ceremony is laic; so which definition of religious fits?
I'd guess Definition 1.3, but I doubt so, because it seems cheeky and delusive to characterise a LAIC solemnization as religious ?

Footnote: I encountered this problem while reading this.


texts: Hypothetically in the context of "What's your favorite restuarant to eat food? If they have food, I'll eat it.". Does the second sentence mean they would eat food at a single resturant or multiple restaurants?


texts: Which word do native speakers use when speaking of pop group member?

texts:
I often called it 'member'. For examples She is the youngest member/There are 7 members in that group. But I saw an american member from k-pop group using the term 'band-mate' when describing his members.

so i wonder
 1. What is a dirrerence between the terms 'member' and 'bandmate'?
 2. Which is a frequently used word?(or do you use other word?)


texts:
What is the difference between analysis and analyse?

How can I know where to use analysis and analyse?
Comment with suitable examples. thank you


texts: "Is X and Y the exact same thing?" or "Are X and Y the exact same things?"

texts:
Which one is more correct grammatically speaking in English?

  a)  Is X and Y the exact same thing?
  b)  Are X and Y the exact same things?
  c)  Are X and Y the exact same thing?

Please state your answer for : 1) BrE and 2) AmE.

And the sources. Please :)

Also how common is it for Native English People to not follow the correct grammar pattern for this?

How often do you hear Native English speaker mistakenly saying using option a or b (whichever one is the incorrect one, which I don't know yet), even though it is incorrect?

NOTE there are two objects being mentioned here X and Y. Regardless whether they are countable or uncountable things. So there are two things, no more and no less than that.


texts: Is it possible to use "for a few days" with present simple?

texts:
is it possible to use for a few days with present simple :
I read in a movie with subtitles for a few days I  miss the cat, should it be  I've missed the cat for a few days if it is ongoing situation or recently finished or I missed the cat for a few days if it belongs to the past


texts:
Hag is generally used for females, but what about males? Is there a male counterpart to this term?

My current understanding of the word is: an old woman who is disgruntled, a possible recluse, and has some form of bad hygiene.


texts: One who lives in the same city in relation to another person

texts:
In my language if I want to say that one lives in the same city as I do use the word “concitadin”. It is formed from the word “citadin (adj.) = urban, city (adj.)” which takes the prefix “con”.

Same for the country: “conational”, which is derived from national taking the prefix “co”, describes one who lives or belongs to the same country as I do.

Is there in English a word to describe the same meaning?


texts: What does "damn" exactly mean in this sentence?

texts:
Today I came across sentence which was:

  People are no damn good.

It got me into thinking that since the word "damn" has been used before "good", a noun, it should be an adjective and the only meaning of damn as an adjective I could find was - "very, extremely" but then does it imply that people are not extremely good although they are but not so much.


texts: Which of these three sentences is correct?

texts:
P1/ “What did you ask her?”
P2/

A) “I asked her whether she was coming.”
B) “I asked her whether she was coming or not.”
C) “I asked her if she was coming.”

My question is which one  of these three options is correct? Is the “or not” obligatory? And if all three are correct,which sounds more natural?


texts:
I am trying to define irony. Can you explain if the use of 'the' in the following sentence is grammatically correct?
"Involving the deployment of different levels of knowledge about an event, a situation  or a statement"
I think it's a general definition of irony hence 'the' before deployment shouldn't be used.


texts:
She is not fat.She is not thin.If I change this sentence into ''neither--nor''  using ''inversion style'',

  1.Neither thin nor fat she is.

  2.Neither is she thin nor is she fat.

Which is more correct?


texts:
I've read in Longman English Grammar (PDF, page 258) that we use get and get / have+object+past participle in a non-causative way for accidents, disasters, etc.  that happen beyond our control.

For  example,

  Don't join in the argument or you might get your nose punched.

  She had her house destroyed in an earthquake.

I think using have in non-causative way is to use the experiential construction (Have+object+past participle usage).

But here in the first sentence get has also been used non-causatively.

Experiential construction shows the experience. So it's called experiential. But in the first sentence, the subject (you) hasn't yet experienced of being punched on his nose. But why is this sentence still in experiential construction?

Next question:

Do we use have and get non-causatively in every situation when something happens to us beyond our control?


texts:
The sun overhead and the sky clear, Carl stepped into his future.

What is the difference between this absolute phrase and introductory phrases like in these other two examples?

Trying to be kind, I held the door open for the customer.
Beautiful and confident, the girl applied to the beauty pageant.


texts: Preposition OF after main verb instead of subject

texts:
I came across an unusual to me usage of preposition 'of':

  When criticisms were made of the school's performance, the parents' group countered with details of its exam results.

  This photograph was taken of them in the airport in Miami.

I'd though that in such cases we use 'of' directly after the noun as I wrote below:

  When criticisms of the school's performance were made, the parents' group countered with details of its exam results.

  This photograph of them was taken in the airport in Miami.

Can someone show the grammar rule I have missed?


texts: Placement of the "comma" in this context

texts:
In the commentary section of a book titled MACBETH I found a sentence:

  Macbeth fights, Siward killing him.

Shouldn't the comma be placed after Siward?

My experience tells me that it is a misprint but the following factors are making me post the question:

The weirdness of the English language.
I found it in a reputable book

Thanks in advance.


texts: What is the meaning of "The wise, for care, on exercise depend, ..."?

texts:
The wise, for care, on exercise depend, God never made his work for man to mend.

It's a quotation of Dryden made by this essay.

Another version is from wikiquote: John Dryden, where for care is actually for cure.

  The wise, for cure, on exercise depend; God never made his work for man to mend.

It's saying men should exercise, but what is the meaning and purpose of for cure or for care.


texts: Is "What the earliest time sounds good to you?" correct?

texts:
I know that if you are asking about the subject, you don't use the auxiliary verb. For instance, we ask

  What time tomorrow sounds good to you to meet?

But here when I wanted to ask about the earliest time you can meet, I feel the compulsion to use the auxiliary verb "is" after "what".

  What is the earliest time tomorrow that sounds good to you to meet?

But I keep saying to myself this wrong because of the addition of "is". However, if I omit it, it sounds as if something is missing.

  What the earliest time tomorrow sounds good to you to meet?

Am I wrong in my feeling?


texts: Why does the "day" in "Name day" is lowercase while being uppercase in "Mother's Day"?

texts:
When you open the Name day article on Wikipedia, you can see that the word day is not capitalised.

I thought this is a rule but then I've found this page of Finnish Name Days where days start with a capital letter.

On the other hand, the day word starts with D both in Father's Day and Mother's Day.

What's the rule here? Is it a mistake that Name day on Wikipedia is not capitalised?


texts: "Dole out the beatings" & "a pinky back into this pond"

texts:
John Wick: Hello, Winston.

  Winston: Jonathan. Now, as I recall... weren't you the one tasked to
  dole out the beatings, not receive them?

  John Wick: Rusty, I guess.

  Winston: To what do we owe the pleasure?

  John Wick: Iosef Tarasov.

  Winston: What about him?

  John Wick: I'd like to talk with him.

  Winston: A talk, you say. I'm familiar with the parlance, Jonathan. I
  want to ask you this. Have you returned to the fold?

  John Wick: Just visiting.

  Winston: Have you thought this through? I mean, chewed down to the
  bone? You got out once. You dip so much as a pinky back into this
  pond... you may well find something reaches out... and drags you back
  into its depths.

The dialogue above is excerpted from the movie John Wick. The scene happens when Wick goes down to the secret club and talks with Winston, owner of the Continental Hotel, who also runs a hitman organization under the table.

I don't quite grasp the meaning of the two bold sentences.

I take the first to mean punishing the opponents while not taking too much hit, but I don't know what the beatings refer to.

The second sounds non-standard to me, though I understand Winston is trying to warn Wick about the seriousness and dangers of this issue. What is "a pinky back into this pond", a turn of phrase? Besides, I would say it this way, "You dip so much like a pinky back into this pond". I don't see the usage of "as" here. Please help to clarify this.


texts: Is there a word that means "follow musically"?

texts:
Think of a pianist who is accompanying a violonist. What would you call the act of playing music and adjusting your tune, melody and playing to the musician you are accompanying. So the word accompanying is used a lot, but it's not specific enough. Accompaniment means a vocal or instrumental part that supports another, often solo, part, but it doesn't tell you that it's done particularly well and with respect to the tune, melody, playing.

For example:

  Her piano ___ the playing of the violonist.


texts: Difference between I would and Would I in following sentences

texts:
I'm confused between the usage of placement of word would in these two sentences:

What I would recommend to you is to buy XYZ book from the market.

What would I recommend you to is to buy XYZ book from the market.

Please tell when to use Would I and I would?

Please correct if grammatical error(if any in both of sentence)


texts: When can I use the expression "water off a duck's back"?

texts:
Would you please let me know more about this expression?

  'Water off a duck's back'

I know this means that criticism or negative events have no effect on me, but it's not easy to use in real life. So if you can, please let me know more sentences that use the above.


texts: With what does ‘far fewer’ compare in this example?

texts:
We've already found more than a million species, but unearthing the
rest was thought to be an impossible task.   But now it seems an army
of amateur scientists have taken up the cause. A new study concludes
that, thanks to them, we're in a golden age of discovery, with 20,000
new finds charted each year.
There could also be far fewer plants and animals left for them to
find. The researchers say rather than tens of millions of species
living on Earth, there could be between two and eight million. (BBC
Learning English)

With what does ‘far fewer’ compare – far fewer than what?


texts:
In my mother tongue there is a very common word to use when you're in a place that is "Not crowded". (Not crowded means few people, cars etc., but not deserted)

In English, I am having a hard time finding the equivalent. I often just say not crowded. Do we have a better word for that? I thought of "Sparse", but I think that's neither right nor a common word for everyday English.

Example 1

  How was the event? Was it crowded?

  No. There were not many people. It was not crowded.

Example 2

  How was the grocery store? Was it crowded?

  No. It was mid-day. There were not many people. It was not crowded.


texts:
A restaurant in India has found a creative way to promote the message of health and safety by turning one its most popular dishes into the shape of a face mask.
Here "promote the message of" means "impove understanding of" ? If I want to express that doing something can help promote Chinese culture, can I say it will help promote the message of Chinese culture? And in a similar way, can I say it will help promote the idea of Chinese culture?


texts: What do we call the half closing of eyes?

texts:
It's not under any influence of alcohol! It's just a gesture. Eyes are half closed with creases on the forehead and some tension in the muscles around the eyes. Such expressions are made when you doubt something or find something suspicious.

I'm trying a lot but not finding even a single image! Why? Because I don't know what it is called!


texts: A troop of monkeys ______ coming towards us ( is/ are)

texts:
A troop of monkeys _____ coming towards us.

Which auxiliary verb should be here (is / are)?


texts: "I have been in college" or "I have been to college"?

texts:
Could you tell me if I need to use the preposition in or to in the context below?

I've never studied in university, but I have been in college.
I've never studied in university, but I have been to college.

I'm aware that when we are talking about out experiences of being in different places, to is used with the present perfect. But, in my context college is not really a place but rather a concept, which makes it hard for me to choose which preposition to use.


texts:
I have a doubt with the word "using" in the follow sentence

  With the American job market surging to life, President Obama plans to
  use his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to effectively
  declare victory over the economic hard times that dominated his first
  six years in office and advocate using the nation’s healthier finances
  to tackle long-deferred issues like education and income inequality.

Which is the "function" of that word on the sentence. Is it a noun or verb?


texts:
While learning C2 level grammar structures for my exam, I came across this structure. Using would with wide range of adverbs such as possibly, undoubtedly etc.
Consider these sentences:

I believe that the construction of such a centre would undoubtedly contribute to the improvement of our quality of life.

Organising family-oriented activities would significantly increase membership and raise the society's popularity with local community.

Why is would used in these sentence? I know would is used for politeness and also as past form of will. But, none is the case here.


texts:
I understand some about "scare" like I'm scared of the dark.
However, I heard this word and I'm not sure it is "scare you" or scared you".
Could you tell me what it means?


texts: Why is "who are" is fine, but "who go" is not?

texts:
Is there any reasonable explanation (that is, not just "that's the way it is") as to why

  "Who are the ones who go there?"

is grammatically correct, but

  "Who go there?"

is not?

In the first sentence both "who" are followed by a verb in plural, and that's just fine.

In the second sentence the situation is similar, yet it's a mistake.


texts: What do you call the painted image done on a car? I think there's a specific terms used by people who do the paint job for custom cars, but I can't remember what it was.


texts:
Are drifting toward something and idling toward something used in the same meaning , i.e to move slowly and gradually toward someone or something? for instance,

The match was idling toward the goaless draw

The match was drifting toward the goaless draw

Drifting toward death

Idling toward death


texts: What is meant by the quote "The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”

texts:
What does following quote mean.  I understand the language but not the thought behind it.

  "The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”  ― Oscar Wilde, The
  Importance of Being Earnest


texts: How to describe a dead drunk individual in modern AE?

texts:
I was wondering if you could tell me which one of the following sentences can be used to describe a dead drunk person in AE:

  He drank so much that he got blackout drunk.
  He drank himself into a stupor.
  He drank himself into oblivion.

Based on several dictionaries, all the above sentences can be used in this sense, but I have no idea if they all sound natural to an AE native these days.


texts:
I was watching a movie and coming across with this sentence: "I'll be over right away" someone said on phone and hanged up.

I understand what is the overall meaning, but not be over part of the sentence!?


texts:
“I left it on a subway train an hour ago.” (its audio)

This is the sentence that I took a dictation. But there seems to be a mismatch between the script and its audio. I hear in an hour ago instead of an hour ago. Now, what I wanted to know is if I hear well, first. And second, if both expressions, an hour ago and in an hour ago, can be used without meaning difference.


texts: As I understand, neither of them is used to negate for two people. If you don't know whether there are two people or more than two, can none of them be possibly referring to two people. Or none of them always negates for more than two people?


texts:
I read this sentence but I'm not sure where the subject is and what I should fill. Could you tell me which one looks okay?

Throughout the state of Maine there are summer music camps, where young people and adults may study in beautiful rural settings.

Throughout the state of Maine located summer music camps, where young people and adults may study in beautiful rural settings.


texts: Breaking down a sentence and an attribute clause

texts:
Frost's Descent is the last solar term of autumn, during which time
  the weather becomes much colder than before and frost begins to
  appear.

"during which = when" introduce an attributive clause “time the weather becomes much colder than before and frost begins to appear.” What followed after "when/where/why" in an attributive clause is a completely sentence, however, "time the weather becomes much colder than before and frost begins to appear" - the subject is "the weather", the predicate is "becomes", the object is "much colder than before"...What component of "time" in this sentence?


texts:
Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct:

  I am always interested in applying my research to various fields
  I am always interested in applying my research in various fields


texts: Difficulties in interpreting this question

texts:
Have you ever been employed by or done any type of work, such as consulting or contract work for any financial services institution in Australia or elsewhere such as a bank, building society or insurance company?

Is this question asking whether I have any work experience in any financial services institution? (not work experience in general?)


texts: I have a question about prepositon in the sentence

texts:
When you are in a exam,you should avoid doing noises.

Is this preposition usage right?


texts: Antonym of "crowded" that is not "uncrowded"

texts:
I want to describe two types of cities: one city is crowded, i.e., has a lot of population in a small area, while the other city is the opposite - it is uncrowded. For reasons of style, I want to use another antonym that does not contain the root "crowded". Any ideas?

Maybe the word "crowded" is unfit in this context. If so, what other words should I use?


texts: Can we replace 'ever' with 'not always' in "Rarely, or 'ever'"

texts:
"Rarely, or ever, did any maid or wife leave that court chaste," observed the sixteenth-century French ... (The New York Times)

I'm still not able to correctly use "ever" even if, when I read such word in a piece, I understand its meaning from the context.

On Merriam Webster Dictionary I read "ever" means "always", but I'm sure that "always" in the place of "ever" doesn't work in the sentence above: "Rarely, or always, did ...". Rather, "Rarely, or always, did ..." seems a nonsense.

Instead I'm less sure that replacing "ever" with "not always" doesn't function:"Rarely, or not always, did ...".

Also, another option that came to my brain is "not never", but it seems awkward: "?Rarely, or not never, did ...".

However, what it be the proprer form, I'm quite confused.

In reference to the sentence above, can anybody explain why "Rarely, or ever, ..." is correct, but "Rarely, or always, ...", "Rarely, or not always, ...", "Rarely, or not never, ..." are, eventually, not?

And, how about "rarely, or not ever, did ..."?


texts: Is it correct to use "an appointment or appointment?

texts:
I could not understand, which is correct: "an appointment" or just "appointment"?

To my understanding, appointment is uncountable noun, and still I found an appointment... an audit etc is used.

Please help me understand the rule.


texts:
Can we say

  You are reminiscent of your father

in order to refer to someone`s either psychical or characteristic resemblance of another person in the sense of  to remind?

or this sentence is more correct

  You are reminiscent of the way your father behave.


texts:
The Egyptian calendar was like a watch that runs slow.

Please suggest to me a phrase that is suitable to replace the words runs slow in this sentence.
Would it be suitable if I use operates slowly?


texts:
Hockney

I've heard this sentence in a movie, actually a documentary, and the person says:

  "In fact, his shows were quite unique,and he'd bill the music to the fashion models, to the whole catwalk experience."

I'm not sure about the meaning of "he'd bill the music to the fashion models"

does it mean that he was the first one that used music in a fashion show?? or am I wrong?


texts: Explaining a Statement in More Shorter Way

texts:
I have some points in three-dimensional space, and these points are projected to x-y surface. I have an image which demonstrates projected points on x-y coordinate system. How can I explain this in one sentence?

  This image shows abstract points in two-dimensional space to which real data samples correspond to
  This image shows projected versions of data samples in three-dimensional space

These are my sentences, but I think both of them are weak. How can I express this?


texts:
Say you're watching a video on YouTube, and the person is filming themselves, but the camera can't get their head in the video, because there isn't enough room on the screen. What would you say? let's say now you're printing out a page and the page doesn't print out with all the stuff it was supposed to have what would you say in that situation too?

  The camera cropped off/cut out/cut off the person's head?
  The words were cropped off/cut out/cut off on the printout?


texts:
Rowhani's 'path of moderation' also shows limits:

  Rowhani's aides have said he proposed an accord in 2005 with then-French President Jacques Chirac to allow uranium enrichment in exchange for the highest level of monitoring by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency. The deal did not gain support from other countries such as Britain and the U.S.

Why does the author of the above article prefer to use the word watchdog instead of watchman? Is there any notable difference between the meaning of these two words in this context? Which one sounds more formal and correct in this context?


texts: what time should I choose for the last event and "take care of"?

texts: I read a comic book. I will say a little preface. The villain immobilized his comrades. And the main character says, "that takes care of they (the enforcers in the comic book)". Isn't it necessary to use the future or continuous here? What is the reason for choosing Present Simple?  I can not understand.


texts: Restrictive or non-restrictive relative clause for this sentence

texts:
I wrote

  Unlike a free-text document, which requires natural language processing techniques to extract information, extracting structured data from semi-structured web documents is easier as they use HTML tags to typeset small pieces of information in tables or lists.

Should it be "that requires" as a restrictive relative clause? Because I use it in the reason?


texts: Using an idiom, how to describe a two-faced friend who speaks ill of you behind your back?

texts:
In Arabic, there's a handy expression that literally translates as

  A mirror to your face, a prickle to your nape (back).

It describes a two-faced friend who is so nice to your face that you'd see yourself in him, but behind your back would say all kinds of bad, defamatory stuff about you.

The Arabic expression is always used as a standalone remark. That is, without being connected to a subject.

  Husband: I couldn't believe Jack would say any of those things about me. I was shocked when I overheard him say I was mean and insecure.

  Wife: A mirror to your face, a prickle to your nape.


texts: Gerund question: "I could see it going down the drain."

texts:
I could see it going down the drain.

In this sentence, I want to ask whether "going" is a gerund or "going down" is a phrasal verb.

And is the word "see" modifying "it" or is "going" modifying "it"?
Please explain properly because I am a novice.


texts:
I have seen that some people use as to why instead of why in sentences such as bellow

  Michael was concerned as to why his address changed.

1- Is is grammatically correct to use as to why in the above sentence?

2- What would be the difference between why and as to why?


texts: Is "I've been to the country about which we had talked last month" grammatically wrong?

texts:
I have learned that prepositions can be used in relative clauses.
For example:

  The man to whom my mother is talking is my teacher

But this sentence

  I've been to the country about which we had talked last month

does not sound right to natives. I wonder if this is grammatically wrong and the reason why.


texts: What is the this part of the sentence called?

texts:
The sentence is:

  We apologise for the destruction of your property by our workers.

What would the "by our workers" part be called?

It seems similar to the passive sentence structure where "by our workers" would be the subject. But the "destruction of your property by our workers" is a phrase and not a sentence so I am not too sure. Could someone tell me what would the "by our workers" part be called?

Thanks


texts:
I was trying to create a story:

  If he wanted to hurt me, I probably wouldn´t have had any chance to fight him or hide somewhere. I could fell he was a very kind person, even though we didn´t talk much. I was so relieved when, after a few-minute walk, I could see a village and felt I was saved. It was the worst nightmare I had ever experienced. For me it was to vivid to fall asleep when back home.

when back home = it was supposed to mean that I couldn´t fall asleep that one night when I came back home after the "horror" journey. Is this correct?


texts: Difference between two conditional sentences

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

1.If I'm to be a teacher , I will never be absent from school. (I have found in a grammar book that It's called indicative mood)

2.If I become a teacher, I will never be absent from school.

The sentences above are quite similar to me ,I'm a bit familarized with 2nd sentence but I'm confused to guess the meaning of 1st sentence. There is the use of 'am to be '  What kind of sentence structure it is? And how it's different from 2nd sentence? Please explain in details.


texts: Is this 'providing' a conjunction or an adjective verb?

texts:
I wonder it's clear to natives whether providing is a conjunction or a adjective verb. How about this one?

  The Giants aren't the first sports team to dabble in providing fans with wireless Internet service or Web access at their seats. (San Francisco Chronicle, 2004)


texts:
I was reading through a submitted work by some editor, and I stumbled upon this phrase added...

"a little friendly competition never hurt anyone"

...and I was confused at first of why isn't the word "hurt" "hurts" since competition I thought was singular here.

Am I missing something? Is this some sort of idiom expression where it's always "hurt."

I did trying doing some search but there is no information on the origin of this being a possible adage/idiom.


texts: "May I have a glass of water" vs. "Can I have a glass of water": which is better, "may I" or "can I", when asking for something?

texts:
What is the correct sentence when asking for something like while flying asking
for a glass of water :

  May I have a glass of water

or

  Can I have a glass of water


texts: What does "bureaucracy" refer to in this context?

texts:
https://youtu.be/EctE3dEAwEY?t=1m15s

  These zones(Jebel Ali Free zone) attract businesses with tax breaks, custom duty benefits, and no foreign ownership restrictions, all within a developed infrastructure, that is run by an independent authority, helping streamlined bureaucracy.

Does "helping streamlined bureaucracy" mean "attracting lots of bussinesses ultimately benefit the Dubai authority? Dubai's efficient, streamlined bureaucracy?

Or does it mean this Free Zones were able to run streamlined businessess?


texts:
By definition, the word "it" is used in placed of a thing or situation mentioned beforehand. My questions is - can "it" serve as the pronoun for an event such as birthday party, award ceremony or sport match?

e.g. 1) The end of semester award ceremony is coming up, I wonder what awards I will receive at it (the ceremony).

2) There will be a meeting next week, and during it we will discuss the topic of saving resources.

3) So you did go to the party. Did anything strange happen at it?

Are the above sentences correct english? If not how can I improve them?

Many thanks.


texts: Is this lecture recorded or is this lecture being recorded?

texts:
During a zoom class one of my classmates asked the lecturer:

Is this lecture recorded?

I am wondering is this question grammatically correct?
or

Is this lecture being recorded?

What is the difference between these two sentences?


texts:
In the Standard Model, the Higgs particle is a boson with no spin,
electric charge, or color charge. It is also very unstable, decaying
into other particles almost immediately. It is a quantum excitation of
one of the four components of the Higgs field. The latter constitutes
a scalar field, with two neutral and two electrically charged
components, and forms a complex doublet of the weak isospin SU(2)
symmetry. The field has a "Mexican hat" shaped potential with nonzero
strength everywhere (including otherwise empty space), which in its
vacuum state breaks the weak isospin symmetry of the electroweak
interaction. When this happens, three components of the Higgs field
are "absorbed" by the SU(2) and U(1) gauge bosons (the "Higgs
mechanism") to become the longitudinal components of the now-massive W
and Z bosons of the weak force. The remaining electrically neutral
component separately couples to other particles known as fermions (via
Yukawa couplings), causing these to acquire mass as well. Some
versions of the theory predict more than one kind of Higgs fields and
bosons. Alternative "Higgsless" models would have been considered if
the Higgs boson was not discovered.
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_boson

I don't know what to make of the last sentence in bold.
I thought it should be: Alternative "Higgsless" models would have been considered if the Higgs boson had not been discovered". But it didn't agree with the context.
According to PEU1 259.3, maybe it's an example in which "would have done" is employed to talk about present and future situations which are no longer possible because of the way things have turned out.
Please help to clarify this.
1. PEU = Michael Swan's, Practical English Usage.


texts: How is "had been" used in English sentences?

texts: In writing a paragraph, how can we use "had been" sometimes, but on other occasions we can use "was" rather than "had been"? So, how do I decide which to use?


texts: "Don't sprink water on others" or "Don't sprink water on other people"

texts:
I took my son to the swimming pool. He sprink water on other people.

  Don't sprink water on others.

  Don't sprink water on other people.

Could others be used instead of other people? Can they have the same meaning?


texts:
She is older than I am.

She is right more often than the others are.
( CGEL page 1108-1109).

The authors said the reduction in 1 is obligatory but 2 is optional (...more than others are right). What is the difference?


texts:
As the product of a lonely childhood, Wilson began studying insects at the age of 9.

Is it okay if I use "... a product of a lonely childhood" and still maintain the original meaning?


texts:
I have check the outskirts entry in Cambridge's Dictionary and found out that I could use either on or in.

  The factory is  in/on  the outskirts  of  New Delhi.

Since when have industrial estates become islands?!

But this sentence from this ELL book has puzzled me! Why would I use "on an industrial estate"? The natural choice is to use in.

  Last year a new language school opened on an industrial estate
  on the outskirts of Saint-Jean-sur-Arc.

There are no examples nor comments about the "industrial estate" entry in Cambridge's dictionary; just the definition.

These two examples were quoted from COCA with "hidden in":

  The elegant Dawoodi Bohra Shi'a Masjid in Northolt is hidden away
  in a London industrial estate.

And "work on":

  This paper reports on an outbreak of abdominal pain and vomiting in
  12 people who worked on a small industrial estate in rural
  Cheshire (in the United Kingdom).

Any comments?


texts: Present Perfect, Past Simple and Present Simple in one phrase at once

texts:
Am I right that these sentences are possible in use in one phrase and that the signification of the phrase is definitely clearly?

  I have seen Paula lately. I saw Paula yesterday. I don`t know where Paula is.

Thanks.


texts: Present or Present Perfect in this sentence with an imaginary statement

texts:
I wrote:

  the associated organizations must act urgently in introducing a new word for a foreign word before it has been widespread / becomes widespread / has become widespread / would been widespread / had been widespread / would have been widespread / would become widespread

I guess I'm speaking an imaginary situation "before an imaginary word is widespread" (after the act have completely happened) or maybe it's just a fact. Do I need "would"?

Anyway, which tenses I mentioned are correct or more idiomatic?


texts: What is the difference between: "I am reading a lot these days" and 'I have been reading a lot these days'?

texts:
What is the difference between: "I am reading a lot these days" and "I have been reading a lot these days"?
As far as I can tell, they can both describe temporary situations. Can I use them interchangeably?


texts: What is the grammatical name of structure of "having cleaned"?

texts:
I met the using of "having cleaned" while I didn't meet this kind of using before and I would like to know what is the name of this structure in English grammar, in order to read and to get more information about it.

The full sentence is:

"So if you cannot reduce the patient's shivering for any reason, you can't get rid of any artefact despite having cleaned the skin, optimised your position, patient comfort, made sure your patient is as warm as they can be, but in circumstances it's not always possible to reduce all disturbances to a normal ECG.In that case, you could use to filter button."


texts: Is the s-v-a in this sentence correct? "Two teaspoons of sugar IS more than enough."

texts:
This sentence was made as an example by my trainer:

  Is the s-v-a in this sentence correct?

    Two teaspoons of sugar IS more than enough.

According to the rule: The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement.

But, is teaspoon not considered a partitive too?


texts: Is it grammatically correct to use comma in this manner "You will get a XX that is nice and clean, ready for further processing"?

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to use comma in this manner :

  "You will get a product that is nice and clean, ready for further processing" ?

My colleague said it is wrong. Is it true?


texts: lady sitting in the car vs lady is sitting in the car

texts:
I believe that the second and the third sentences are grammatically correct and the first one is incorrect. I would appreciate if you could clarify the issue here.

Thanks in advance.

Sentences are as follows:

1- Do you know the lady is sitting in the car ?

2- Do you know the lady sitting in the car ?

3- Do you know the lady who is sitting in the car  ?


texts: Wondering which of the following interpretations below is correct

texts:
Vietnam suspends its search as Malaysia's air force chief denies saying the flight was tracked hundreds of miles off course.

Which interpretation is correct?
1. He denied AND said the flight was tracked hundreds of miles off course.
2. He denied what he had said. (He had said the flight was tracked hundreds of miles off course)

Is saying here a noun or a verb?

Even though this question is about one sentence, I'm interested in hints to help figure these kinds of things out in other contexts.


texts: What do you call the soft part of a plate armor?

texts: You know some plate armor are not full plated armor, so I was wondering if there was a name for the soft parts. In the above picture, we see the soft part, but the guy is wearing an undergarment. Some armors have their own undergarment that seems to be part of the armor. I don't know if that's the correct wording, but the color of the undergarment and the armor matches unlike in the above picture, so I was wondering if there was a name for the soft part of the armors in the case there's a special undergarment or light armor that came with the plate armor or was part of it.


texts: How did "discursive" come to have two opposite meanings?

texts:
I was reading something on parental mediation of children's videogame play when I first came across the word discursive:

  We explain how restrictive, co-use, and active mediation are constituted by gatekeeping, discursive, diversionary, and investigative activities.

All of these are well explained later in the article. For example:

  Discursive activities are dialogues that enable parents and children to share perspectives on various aspects of videogames, where parents air concerns while inculcating values and proffering advice on managing the negative aspects of videogames.

But I couldn't wait until the writer explained what discursive meant, so I peaked through multiple dictionaries only to know the word has two interesting, somewhat unrelated, meanings:

  1.(of speech or writing) Tending to digress from the main point; rambling.

  2.(philosophy) Using reason and argument rather than intuition.

Wikitionary

Those seemed to me very unrelated so I went on further to vocabulary.com And here I quote:

  If people accuse you of rambling from topic to topic in your speech or writing, they may say you have a discursive style — with changes in subject that are hard to follow. But it's okay because unicorns are shiny. The adjective discursive is often used to describe speech or writing that tends to stray from the main point, but the word can also have almost the opposite meaning. Discursive can also be used to describe an argument based on reason instead of intuition: "Her discursive dissertation on Colonial American women was well-argued and well-reasoned. Her professors were most impressed with her work."

This confirmed the idea that there's something unusal about this word being used for two opposite meanings. I don't know how the two meanings developed or what justifies the word being used this way.


texts: Collective nouns for the years of the first and the second decades of a century

texts: Provided that the years within a decade starting from the third can be collectively referred to by using the –ies ending (the twenties, the fifties, etc.), what would be the collective nouns for the years of the first and second decades? For the first one, all I could find was "the noughties"; although I'm not sure it's commonly used by native English-speakers.


texts: individuality usage as set phrase/expression

texts:
Let's say you want to express something using a common expression, is this sentence correct?

  I don't want to emulate others much, because this act does not develop
  my own individuality.

Note:if you spot any incorrect vocabulary usage, pls. Help. And if you can suggest alternatives or better expression even, feel free to share.


texts: "How does that track with you?" What does it mean?

texts:
I heard a line in the movie The Humbling of the character played by Al Pacino:

  Well, you're the psychiatrist. How does that track with you?

My research doesn't show "track with" is an idiom, and dictionary definitions of track have similar meanings of "follow a path," which doesn't seem to fit here. What does this line mean?

I am putting a one-minute clip containing this line here, via Youtube. Extracting the context is tricky, as the segment cuts back and forth between two different scenes for artistic reasons. Therefore in order to avoid taking things out of context or presenting a confusing clip, I included a little bit of content that takes place before the line.


texts:
If I want to say to a group of people that they are each other's friends, can I say:

  You're friends.

or should absolutely say:

  You're each other's friends


texts:
I’m reading Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, where in Ch 6 it says:

  Men of other régiments came to visit the Mavericks. The Mavericks went visiting on their own account.

What does it mean, on their own account? My understanding of account is either “report, description “, or something like a “bank account “, but seems neither works here.


texts:
The following is taken from this book titled "Thoughtful Interaction Design: A Design Perspective on Information Technology" (Published in 2004):

  An independent artist is probably the one who lives closest to an unbounded creative situation. Many artists have considerable freedom from external requirements about what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and why. At the same time, however, we know that artists usually restrict themselves quite forcefully by choice of material and form of expression. To make the choice to express a feeling by carving a specific form from a rock, without the use of high technology or colors, restricts the artist significantly.

In the last sentence, the subject is "To make the choice to express a feeling by carving a specific form from a rock, without the use of high technology or colors," and the predicate is "restricts the artist significantly."

Is it possible to use "Making" instead of "To make" in the last sentence as follows?

  Making the choice to express a feeling by carving a specific form from a rock, without the use of high technology or colors, restricts the artist significantly.

Also, how does this gerund subject compare with the to-infinitive subject? Are they both natural in context? Or is one more natural than the other?


texts:
How to understand the phrase in bold in other words especially the meaning of "taking over", in this article?

  Lynx is thought to have gone by the 10th Century, in England at least. It is thought that the Neolithic settlers mingling with peoples already present or taking over, came from the continent and brought their own animals;


texts:
I’ve found this:

  We use if only to express a strong wish that things could be different. It means the same as I wish but is stronger. (source)

‘if only’ already refers to ‘I wish’. It means either we use ‘I wish’ or ‘if only’; but, I read in a book a sentence that looked ungrammatical to me. In that sentence ‘wish’ is followed by ‘if only’. Can these two be used together? Can we say:

  They wish if only he could support them.

If yes, it means we can say:

  I wish if only I could...

If not, then how should the sentence [They wish if only he could support them.] be constructed?


texts:
This is very confusing. "Wind" can countable or uncountable, but "Draught" is only a countable noun.
So, when I am sitting in my house, probably there are many draughts or many flows of cool air striking me.
But why does the dictionary say "Can you close the window? I’m in a draught."?
I would think "Can you close the window? I’m in draughts." makes more sense.
Which one is correct "Please close the door. I am in a draught" or "I am in draughts"?


texts:
There is a little water in the pot.
There is some water in the pot.

What is the difference between them?
How can I distinguish these sentences?
I am a bit confused.


texts: "He must be in the room". "He must be inside the room" what is to be be used?

texts:
"He must be in the room."

  "He must be inside the room."

Which one is correct?
Which preposition is suitable for this
sentence?

I think, "He must be in the room." This one is usually
used.