texts: How could something convince something else?

texts:
When I'd been a cadet, one term, we'd studied (among much else) a play by Shaw and a tragedy by Shakespeare. Shaw's plays had a clear message, explained importantly in the preface to each. One may question if early experience influenced his writing to a very great extent. Did Shakespeare have a message or were his works coloured by childhood traumas? Could he not have just written to earn a living in the then world of entertainment? Of course, all actions and imaginations by everyone are influenced by their experiences to a greater or lesser extent. However, could it be that we may assign an undue importance to these? Certainly, please inform Mr John Gray that his thesis in this case tends to convince one of its validity.

BBC News

What does the bold part mean?

Isn't "convince" always followed by somebody rather than something? How can sb/sth convince sth else?


texts: If he knew it, he would have told us about it. Is this sentence correct?

texts:
Sometimes modal verb and conditional sentence is tricky for non-native speaker like me.

I, you and he met yesterday. He said nothing. I and you (except him) are meeting today again. I don't know if he knew about it or if he didn't know about it, when we met yeseterday. In this situation,

a. If he knew it, he would tell us.
b. If he knew it, he would have told us.
c. If he had known it, he would have told us.

Which is correct? I think a or b, not c.
Sorry for my poor English sentences, but I hope you understand my question. ^^


texts: what does "up" means here in "what are you up to"

texts:
in sentence "what are you up to", what is the definition of "up" and what part of speech is it?

there are way too many definitions for "up", I am not sure which one "up" is using in above sentence.

does "up" has to be used together with "to" to work?

my question is, is "up" here a adjective or adverb?


texts:
Example with a context:

  The car accelerated and crashed into a bend, avoiding the missile and leaving the passengers unharmed, he added.

Dictionaries define A bend as a curved or angled part of something, but I'm not sure how you can crash into a bend.

How do you guys understand this description? There's a bend in the road and you crash your car into it?


texts:
What's the difference between the two following sentences? This site says any could also be used with singular nouns in if clauses when it means any kind of. Is it true? Are both following sentence correct?

If you have any questions, please let me know.
If you have any question, please let me know.

I know the first one correct. But according to this site the singular noun is also correct when It means any kind of.


texts: Can I say "on the first sign" instead of "at"?

texts:
For me differentiating prepositions at, in, and on are very difficult. Now I found the following sentence over Duolingo French course:

  At the first road sign, turn left.

This is the translation from the following French sentence, if you want to know:

  Au premier panneau, tournez à gauche.

I typed in on and got notified that at is the correct answer. But I'm not sure if the course creator has not added on to the list of acceptable answers (very common on Duolingo and in that case users report it), or it is simply wrong in grammar.

So it the use of on correct or not in this sentence, and why?


texts:
Is the usage of “where” in this sentence acceptable？

Each holiday we arrange ten volunteers to teach for three weeks in rural primary school where mostly understaffed and severely lacking in educational resources.

I just wonder whether it is possible to omit (where it is)


texts: What does "run" in "Run the world" mean?

texts:
I saw the image below:

It's a reference to Beyonce (how you can see at the title here), her song is called Run The World (Girls).

Inside the context of the song. How about this substitution?

"Who order/boss the world? Girls"

Does run mean this? and Why was this word picked and not others?

And if you know, other use for run. Not like run in a race/the run actividade. Other uses and meanings, not the most common.


texts:
I am confused while using the preposition "in" in the below context.

  The wider provision of electricity supplies is a critical factor in reducing global poverty levels?

Why can't I say "...a critical factor to reduce global poverty levels?"

I am not sure the exact meaning of "in" in the context.

When do I use proposition "in" with "ing" form?


texts:
Do Americans pronounce ‘I’ll’ as ‘all [ɔ:l]' as an American ESL teacher says, frequently?

[Her YouTube Channel]


texts:
The bank robbers guarded the hostages.

Can "guarded" be used in a context like this to mean "prevented the hostages from escaping" or can it only be used to mean "protected someone"?


texts: Whether or not to drop the subject after "than"

texts:
I wrote this sentence:

  The result of the treatment will be less effective than (that) would be achieved by aspirin being added.

I have noticed that, in many sentences, the subject after than are often dropped,  but I'm not sure in which case I should do that.

I want to make sure if the sentence is correct without that


texts: Can 'that' ever modify book in these sentences?

texts:
Can that (either separately or as the first word of a phrase) modify "book" in the following:

1

  I have never heard of that Jane Austen's book.

I.e., can the sentence be equivalent to

  I have never heard of that book of Jane Austen's.

2
What about

  I can't find that boy's book.

Can "that" modify book? If it can, is it any different than Sentence 1?


texts: Can I use a sentence with indirect speech in an essay? Example below↓

texts:
Would it be proper for written AmE? After making some points in my essay I need to state that what I've just said probably engenders a question.

  This (probably) brings up/arises/elicits a question, "Why would he want to study chemistry now if he could not bear it as a child?

or

  This (probably) brings up/arises/elicits a question: why would he want to study chemistry now if he could not bear it as a child?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
This is a comment made from a discussion on homeless people:

  There are those who have pissed on the help, love and concern of any family they once knew.

What's the meaning of piss on in this comment? Is this a figurative use? I couldn't find an entry as a phrasal verb in the dictionaries.


texts: What does "it" refer to in this excerpt of an old English text?

texts:
I am really getting a hard time in understanding the nuances of this text. I am not able to understand what is being referred to in the 'it' parts of this excerpt. It goes like this

  'I propose to lay before you a concise history of Indian chronology extracted from Sanskrit books, attached to no system and as much disposed to reject Mosaick history, if it be proved erroneous, as to believe it, if it be confirmed by sound reason from indubitable evidence'.

 Source: The Works of Sir William Jones: With the Life of the Author by Lord Teignmouth. In Thirteen Volumes, Volume 4


texts:
Please read below an example:

  You should discuss with her the consequences of her providing consent.  If she will not provide consent, then you should consider whether you are able to continue to act without placing you in breach of any of the mandatory Principles.

From the book "Practical English Usage", I know that the structure "If [something] will" conveys the meaning like "If it is true now that...".  Here are the examples from that book:

  'If Ann won't be here on Thursday, we'd better cancel the meeting.'

  'If prices will really come down in a few months, I am not going to buy one now.'

Would you please explain whether the first example and the second set of examples come under the same rule?

How does the structure (in the second set of examples) differ from unreal conditionals ('if+past simple, would + past participle)?


texts: How can you describe a justified act of selfishness?

texts:
How can I describe someone who has acted selfishly, but his choice of action is somehow necessary for him?
For instance, if your girlfriend tells you that she has to leave you for another city on the account of having been granted a scholarship. How can you describe this act of selfishness?


texts:
When reports came into London zoo that a puma had been sent, they were not taken seriously.

Can I replace ‘When’ by ‘As’ or ‘While’?


texts:
I know this question sounds strange, but when I see green pepper in a menu, I don't know which one it is. Any way I can distinguish them? (I know the last one is referred to as hot, but that doesn't always help.)

1 - Green pepper

2 - Green pepper

3 - Green pepper


texts: When are words like "that" and "the" unnecessary?

texts:
There are several cases where "the" and "that" are completely unnecessary for the understanding of a sentence. So, I want to know when they are unnecessary and why.
For instance,  in “She told me that she has a gun”, "that" seems to be unnecessary. By the same token, “The Coca-Cola company explains that the amount of sugar within its product is not harming the human body,” might be unnecessary.


texts: What is the difference between social network and social networking?

texts: I don't know when to use gerund. Someone told me that "networking" works as a noun, but "network" is a noun, too.


texts: Why doesn't the clause "....and reputation its shadow" need a verb?

texts: The clause "reputation its shadow" in "Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow" has no verb, but is still correct. Please kindly tell me the grammar point used here!


texts: Is it correct to say “he took something into control”? For example, “After being pushed about by the whims of fate, he finally took his destiny into control."


texts: Meaning of the sentence: "A woman at the back goes crash on the cymbals."

texts:
I encountered the following paragraph in a textbook for Beginners:

  Sometimes the band plays in town.
  A woman at the back goes crash on the cymbals.
  And they always sparkle in the sun.

The second sentence is a mystery to me. Could you please explain what the author means by it?


texts: "Anything could happen" vs "anything can happen"

texts:
What's the difference betwee the following two sentences?

1- "Do not try to do this stunt. Anything could happen. You may/might/could get injured or die."

2- "Do not try to do this stunt. Anything can happen. You can get injured or die."


texts: "As (a) programmer, I'm responsible for.." - When to use the indefinite article?

texts:
Something which I still couldn't understand is the rule of using "a" in a sentence.

For example:

  "As a programmer, I'm responsible for... "

or

  "As programmer, I'm responsible for"

Which one is correct?


texts: Anything wrong with “Let me come up with a more interesting exercise”?

texts:
In the previous year I did a coding test problem when applying for a job; one of the problem requirements were of little sense to me, so I decided to replace it with a slightly different thing which I found a bit more reasonable. To clarify my intention, I added the following comment to the source code:

  The original task formulation asked to exclude operator+ from the call
    resolution list using the SFINAE technique. To tell the truth, I don't
    understand the reason for that requirement. Excluding operator+ like
    that is only practical if we provide a fallback implementation which
    doesn't require operator+ on T and T2. I cannot imagine any reasonable
    fallback for the element-wise addition, so I decided to leave this
    operator as is. Instead, I implemented operator== in the requested way.

  Let me come up with a more interesting SFINAE exercise. The problem
    is to implement sparse array's operator== in the following manner: if there
    is an operator== between T and T2, use it; otherwise, fallback
    to operator<. Thanks to C++17's constexpr iterators, the implementation
    is fairly straightforward and efficient.

I successfully went through the interview and now I'm working at the company for more than half a year. Suddenly, one of my colleagues tells me in a casual conversation that he clearly remembers that my test problem solution comments contained some bad tone. More specifically, he claims that the phrase “Let me come up with a more interesting SFINAE exercise.” (and the word “exercise” itself) is overly self-confident and didactic, like if it was “let me teach you how to it properly”. At the same time, I cannot see anything that wrong with the phrasing.

None of us is a native speaker. Could you please tell me how this exact phrase sounds to someone who is?

P. S.
Feel free to point me out to any other mistake I did in the above text.


texts: Which is a better sentence out of these two?

texts:
Original sentence:

  The fabrication is done properly to avoid chances of voids present in a crystal lattice.

I think it is equivalent to

  The fabrication is done properly to avoid chances of voids that are present in a crystal lattice.

But it is not important that the voids may always be present and the above sentence signifies that the voids are always present, so may I put it like this as given below?

  The fabrication is done properly to avoid chances of voids that may be present in a crystal lattice.

Which one should be preferred or more fine?


texts: Can Present Perfect Continuous and Present Continuous have the same meaning?

texts:
According to https://englishsentences.com/present-tense/

  b. Present Continuous

  The present continuous tense describes actions
  and/or events that are currently happening or going on now; in other
  words, things that are continuing to happen right now in “real time.”

and

  d. Present Perfect Continuous
  The present perfect continuous expresses
  actions (or events) that we have been doing and are still doing;
  things that have been going on and are still going on now.

My question is that, in some situations, can these both tenses represent the same timeline ?

For Example

  He is taking the exam for last 2 hours - Present Continuous ???
  He has been taking that exam for at least 2 hours - Present Perfect Continuous.

Don't the above two sentences tell us the same thing ? Or is the 1st sentence grammatically incorrect ?

What am I missing ?

Thanks.


texts: Which is correct? "Happy new year to both of you" or "Happy new year to you both"

texts:
Which one is correct?

  Happy new year to both of you.

or

  Happy new year to you both.


texts: “Why it means so much to me?” or “Why does it mean so much to me?”

texts:
"Why the hell it means so much to me?" or
  "Why the hell does it mean so much to me?"

Which is correct and why?
If wrong, is the first phrase at least informally acceptable?


texts: Are these sentences completely different in terms of context or just matter of choice?

texts:
Sentences:

To me, they convey the same context (process was interrupted by some event but 1st shows us sequence of events while 2nd shows just inevitable fact of interruption of the process)

  I had been doing great without you until I saw your eyes

  I was doing great without you until I saw your eyes

Question:

Are these sentences completely different in terms of context, or just matter of choice?


texts: What does it mean "to talk over someone"?

texts:
I saw this video where two policemen, in three different times tell citizens "Don't talk over me" (0:12) or "you are talking over me" (3:37 also 3:44). It seems that all of these mentions in the video are with the same meaning. Anyway I don't know what it means but based on the context, I can guess that the meaning is "don't talk to me in a way that you are over me or better than me". Isn't it?

I searched for the meaning on this online dictionary and I'm not sure which one of the definitions matches this context, if any.

talk over

Discuss thoroughly, as in Let's talk over the entire plan and see if we discover any flaws. [First half of 1700s]
Win someone over by persuasion, as in We talked them over to our point of view. [First half of 1800s] Also see talk around.
See also: talk

talk over

v.
1. To consider something thoroughly in conversation; discuss something: We talked the matter over. The panel talked over the proposal.

To succeed in gaining the favor or support of someone by persuasion: We talked them over to our side.
To speak and be heard amid some loud noise: It is impossible to talk over the noise of the machines.


texts:
Can I use "so on" to mean that there are still more on the list in formal writing, particularly in an essay?

  Internet has improved people's living standard and made our lives easier and more convenient with numerous online services. Such convenience includes online shopping, internet banking, job seeking services and so on.


texts:
A joke in a student comic:

  There are two owls playing pool. One accidentally nudges the white.

  Owl 1: That's two hits.

  Owl 2: Two hits? Two hits to who?

What does this joke mean?


texts: Meaning of "You’ll do better with the creamery cheque, than with what wages we could afford. We think that fair"

texts:
But if it was the end of things for Kitty Teresa, it was not, as they had
imagined it would be, entirely so for Henry and Bridget. When plans were
made, it was put to them that they might continue their occupancy of the
gate-lodge as caretakers of the larger house, that for the time being at least
the herd would be made over to them to give them a continuing livelihood.
"You’ll do better with the creamery cheque," Heloise estimated, "than
with what wages we could afford. We think that fair." Only passing time,
the Captain added, could settle all this confusion.

I think in the part in bold Heloise is talking about how to pay the wages of their workers and she said it is better to give them cheque and this wages is better than wages they had paid before?
Or can we say "creamery cheque" means: the workers of creamery factory? but it seems odd to me.
Source: The Story Of Lucy Gault By William Trevor


texts:
Which sentence is correct and meaningful?

The following computer algorithm is highly parallelizable.

The following computer algorithm is highly parallelable.


texts: Are these sentences grammatically and logically correct by using "miss not doing something"？

texts:
I came across this sentence today,

  I’m the oldest child in my family and have missed not having an older sibling to lean on.

I don't think the sentence is right,because miss is mostly a transitive verb which means not be able to catch, have or experience something. So it would be conflicting in meaning if somebody "misses""not doing something". That is, the writer actually has an older sibling. However,that would be impossible.

I tried to google and found some more sentences like,

  I missed not having my parents full attention...

  Another time I may have missed not having a full kitchen and dishwasher.
  ...

I'm really confused. Could anybody help?


texts:
When we want to write something (often lists or points), we say:

the main points are as follows:

Abc
Def
Ghi

"Points" is plural but we still write "follows". Why is it not "as follow" as in:

the main points are as follow:

So why is it "follows"? Are both correct?


texts:
What are the parallels for the adverb 'visually' when talking about hearing and smelling?

Here are some examples:

  I can explain it to you more visually. (for eyes)

  I can explain it to you more -? - (for ear).

  They are sounds more masculine, -?- (for ear)

  I can explain it to you more -?- (for nose).

  It can be more understood, -?- (for nose)


texts: Is it meaningful: “a building stays on its feet”?

texts:
Is this sentence correct:

  build a house to stay on its feet over the thousands of years.


texts: "What time it starts?" or "What time does it start?"

texts:
Which is correct or significantly better?

  a) "What time the train leaves?"

or

  b) What time does the train leave?"


texts:
Active form: i won't finish it tomorrow. (I think it should: i m not finishing it tomorrow.)

Which is correct?

Passive:
1. It isn't being finished tomorrow.
2. It won't be finished tomorrow.


texts: " . . . as construction teams complete/completing the bridge widening project"

texts:
This sentence is correct:

  Sentence A.

  Expect transportation delays in Havering High Street next week as construction teams complete the bridge widening project."

But is this sentence also correct? I changed the clause "as~." into a participial phrase in Sentence B by changing the verb "complete" into "completing".

  Sentence B.

  Expect transportation delays in Havering High Street next week as construction teams completing the bridge widening project.

Thank you. :)


texts: Why do we use an indefinite article in the sentence "I can't imagine a world without electricity"?

texts: As far as I understand, it speaks specifically about our entire planet, and not about some abstract world. Isn't it better to use the definite article in this case?


texts: Difference between "He is a hard-working man" and "He is a man who works very hard"

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences below in terms of semantics or for that matter any other aspects?

  He is a hard-working man.
  He is a man who works very hard.

Is the distinction simply a matter of style? If not, what differences do they have in respect of giving information about the noun they modify?
To be more specific, I asked this question because I sometimes can't decide whether to use a relative clause or an adjective-like phrase to modify a noun.


texts: What do you call a team which it's players play in a very coordinated way?

texts:
What do you call a team whose players play in a very coordinated way, and all know each other well (meaning that each player knows how the other teammate plays and plays according to the other player's playing in a manner that maximizes the team's performance) Short and to the point - they play in a very coordinated manner together.

Based on my own dictionary definitions, all the following terms should be correct, but I've found their meanings in some online dictionaries. So I doubt if they are correct now. Please help me to find the best choice which a native speaker would say:

  a) coordinated team

  b) coherent team

  c) harmonious team

  d) homogeneous team

Based on dictionary definitions, I guess there should be a fixed term. I'm looking for that; otherwise, these all can work properly, at least for me and according to the dictionary definitions.


texts: We would like to confirm that we get informed

texts: please help me clarify this sentence. Is it right?


texts:
Which one is grammatically correct sentence?

According to the Bible it is meek and humble who shall inherit the earth.
According to the Bible it is the meek and humble who shall inherit the earth.


texts:
I would like to know if is there something which could be similar and simple for this
Question's answer. And Please give me the clear meaning for this answer too.

Question : Is it ok if I use your Computer ?

Answer : I'd rather you didn't, if you don't mind.


texts: When comparing two things, such as A and B. If A is better than B, can I say "it's A for B"?


texts:
There is a FB post of John Carmack about Steve Jobs. It is a long post, so I am quoting the very end of it:

  I corroborate many of the negative character traits that he was
  infamous for, but elements of the path that led to where I am today
  were contingent on the dents he left in the universe.

  I showed up for him.

I do not understand the last sentence:

  I showed up for him.

Could you explain what John wanted to say by writing that sentence, please?


texts:
If I say "I was away ten days and it rained each day".
Does it make any difference if i say "I was away for ten days and it rained each day".   What do I think about it is -   There are two clauses

I was away
ten days
 In the first case both the clauses disjoint but in the second one they are joined by preposition for.


texts:
Spanish uses the singular to refer to one and the plural to refer more than one or zero of something. Is the same for material things and other abstract concepts, for example, time measures: hours, minutes, seconds...

Examples:

  Tengo 1 hora libre.
      Faltan 2 horas para terminar.
      Finalizará en 0 horas 5 minutos y 2 segundos.

Is it correct, in English, to say, for example?

  The process required 0 hours and 5 minutes.


texts: "What do you dream of?" versus "What do you dream of doing?"

texts:
I am not sure if "what do you dream of" or "What do you dream of doing?" is the right question for the following response. I know both forms are grammatical, but I suspect only one is natural.

A: What do you dream of? / What do you dream of doing?
B: I want to score 900 on the TOEIC test. / I want to be an astronaut.


texts: What are the differences between "You always dress in a black suit" and "You are always dressed in a black suit" in spoken language?

texts:
In this dictionary, "dress" can have 2 meanings

  -Dress [intransitive, transitive] to put clothes on yourself/somebody:

  dress (in something) I dressed quickly.

  dress somebody (in something) She dressed the children in their best
  clothes.

  Get up and get dressed!

  The children spend hours dressing and undressing their dolls.

  -Dress [intransitive, transitive] to wear a particular type or style of clothes:

  to dress well/badly/fashionably/comfortably:

  dress for/in/as something You should dress for cold weather today. She
  always dressed entirely in black.

  dress somebody (for/in/as something) He was dressed as a woman (= he
  was wearing women's clothes).

But this site says

-When talking about wearing a specific clothes

Though we can say "I dress in a black suit" ("dress" is an intransitive verb in this case). But, in spoken language, normally we do not say like that but say "I am dressed in a black suit"

-When talking about a particular type of clothes, we use "dress" as an intransitive verb

She's over 40, but she still dresses like a teenager

He needs to change the way he dresses.

"to dress for winter"

So, in spoken language, what are the differences between "You always dress in a black suit" and "You are always dressed in a black suit"?

So, does "You always dress in a black suit" emphasize that you wear a particular type of clothes?

Does "You are always dressed in a black suit" emphasize that you wear  specific clothes?


texts: Do "to be" and "designed to be" have the same meaning?

texts:
I have met the following sentence on the website of Cornell Law School.

  For motor vehicles on which the license plate is designed to be
  mounted on the vehicle such that the upper edge of the license plate
  is 1.2 m or less from the ground...

Does the deletion of the "designed" or " designed to be" change the meaning of the sentence ? In my humble opinion (Non Native English Speaker), the deletion of the "designed" does not change the meaning, but the deletion of the "designed to be" will imply that the license plate is already mounted.


texts: Express you are willing to share time with somebody you do not know yet

texts:
I want to invite somebody else to spend some time, casually, welcoming if the other person can put it in their schedule.
The first thing I came up with [with context]:

  [I will be around until Friday.]
  Let me know if you want to share some time.

Sent it, but now came here since as I re-read it, it sounded a bit strange to me.
Is there a better way to express this intent?


texts: What does "whole" in "a whole bunch of stuff to do" mean?

texts:
In the following sentence, what is the meaning of whole?

  I have a whole bunch of stuff to do this morning.

I understand the meaning of "a bunch of something," but I am not clear why whole should be used in that sentence.


texts: "had belonged to" vs. "were belonged to"

texts:
Example A:
John and another accused, Mike, had belonged to the Congress party at the time.

1) Is the above sentence correct?

2) If i use "were belonged to", does it change the meaning?

3) When should I use "had belonged to"; when should I use "were belonged to"?

Example B :
"Meanwhile, no case about the accident has reported in any police station."

1) Is the above correct? As per my perception, it should be "has been reported" instead of only "has reported."

Please help me to understand.


texts:
Given the following examples from Oxford Dictionaries

  1) ‘I glowered, having a strong urge to turn away from him, but I knew that he intended well.’

  2) ‘Larenia giggled after she finished saying this and I had the strong urge to giggle with her.’

What is the difference in meaning between the noun phrase "a strong urge" in the first example and the noun phrase "the strong urge" in the second example? Namely, why in the first example we have "a" and in the second example we have "the" before the noun? Does it make any difference?


texts: Is there a word with the opposite meaning to "except"/"everything but"?

texts: Except means "everything but". Is there a single word in English that has the opposite meaning to that of "except" (an antonym of except)?


texts: Why is the definite article needed in "border on the ridiculous"?

texts:
Two dictionary sentences share the phrase "border on the ridiculous".

  The play's dialog borders on the ridiculous. (Merriam Webster)

  His suggestion borders on the ridiculous. (Cambridge)

I wonder if this is a case of attaching the definite article to an adjective to make a noun phrase with the adjective "ridiculous" being the head of the NP. Is that the case? If so why is an NP needed in the first place? If this is not the case, why is the definite article needed?


texts: Are there "turn up", "turn down" in addtion to "turn left" and "turn right" ?


texts: What is the meaning of "run" in the sentence "Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money"?

texts:
What is the meaning of run in the above sentence? Does it mean "Move about in a hurried and hectic way"? Does it mean Harry is so excited that he hurriedly wants to buy something with his money?

Here is more context:

  One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money that he'd had in his whole life.


texts:
I stumbled upon the sentence:

  This book is dedicated to my mother, who has taken care of her family throughout her life without  the slightest negligence, in addition to being sincere towards her duties as a school teacher, [...]"

I was wondering about the "in addition to". Grammatically, the preposition "in addition to" is correct, but for me, as a non native english speaker, it reads strange.
Probably because of the following "being".

Wouldn't one rather use a "besides" or "in addition of" instead, or is an "in addition of" generally wrong?


texts: How to understand "fer cryin' out loud" in this context?

texts:
“Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"

This is from Harry Potter. I think "fer cryin' out loud" is "for crying out loud", but I don't know how to relate it to the context. How should we understand it in the context?


texts:
Let's say there are two summers. Summer of 2012, summer of 2011. And summer of 2012 was bad time, whereas the summer of 2012 is the best summer I've had.

Now, if I put it this way.

"I knew that was going to be a bad summer (2012). But the last summer (2011) had been the best summer I've ever spent."

Is it grammatically correct? Is this usage of the past perfect right?


texts: Is "presently present" grammatically correct?

texts:
While reading a documentation, I came across the following sentence

  The new class library will contain all the business logic presently present in the project ABC.

Is "presently present" correct? Can this sentence be rephrased any better?


texts:
When Morgan Williams comes in, he is wearing his good town coat. He
  looks Welsh and pugnacious; it's clear he's heard the news. He stands
  by Kat, staring down, temporarily out of words; till he says, ‘See!’
  He makes a fist, and jerks it three times in the air. ‘That!’ he says.
  ‘That's what he'd get. Walter. That's what he'd get. From me.’

(Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel)

Why Morgan Williams look Welsh? Is it because he has heard the news and is so mad at what happened? Then, what is the meaning of "Welsh" here?


texts: Inversion in apodosis (resulting clause of conditional)

texts:
As far as I know, I can use an inversion to omit "if" in if-clause of conditional.

But is it possible to do an inversion in resulting clause of conditional sentence?

Normal conditional:

[1] If I had not been there, I would not have met her.

With inversion in resulting clause:

[2] If I had not been there, never would I have met her.


texts:
Here is a sentence from a platform game app:

  In the game some of the jumps will take several re-runs to scale.

The player has to jump and safely land without tumbling into pits.

I know the lexical meanings of the word scale, but none of them seems to fit here.


texts: Does the phrase "which may not seem like much of an [something]" sound natural?

texts:
Does the phrase "seem like much of an [something]" sound natural?

For example:

  This might not seem like much of an improvement, but it is.


texts:
Can I say Headmaster and Vice-Headmaster for the persons involved in a school management?

I have read this https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/159779/managing-director-in-a-school-below-university-level but I still need to make sure how to use the Vice-Headmaster


texts: to learn to write without spelling mistakes

texts:
When I write a paragraph I make 5 to 7 spelling mistakes. Sometimes i even swap some of the letters in the word while writing or typing. (I know, I don't have the habit of reading English articles, and that may be the reason why I forget the spelling of simple words.)

I see in dictionaries every word is given with symbols to tell how to pronounce it. Nobody has taught me how to read those symbols. Can anyone help me to improve my language skill by giving some web links or advice?


texts: What do you call someone whose job is to enforce a judge's decision?

texts: In my native country there is a profession whose role is to ensure that a judge's decision is carried out. For example, judge might find the defendant guilty and order him to pay some amount of money to the plaintiff. If the defendant has difficulty paying or refuses to pay then there are people that are tasked with helping resolve the situation. A similar profession must exist throughout the world. What is it called in English?


texts: What is "house committee" called in the UK?

texts:
I looked at the entry "house committee" in Cambridge dictionary, and it states about it:

  in the US, a group of people chosen by the House of Representatives to
  consider a particular subject.

In my humble opinion, it means that in the UK they call it differently, but they don't note there what is the alternative for the British English. Then I'm asking here what is it?


texts:
the second rule acts in the context provided by the first rule

Is it the correct use of "act"?

I mean the second rule applies on something in the context provided by the first rule.


texts: What is 'gesture' and is it 'going' short form for 'is going'?'

texts:
In this drawing lesson at around 13:16, the drawing teacher (artist) draws one line back and then the second line down and explain:

  So gesture going back, gesture going down.

What is 'gesture' for him (direction? or movement? or direction of movement?)and why he say 'going' I mean why not 'is going' or 'goes'?


texts: Delimited, separated, delimited out, separated out

texts:
filename.ext
A filename extension is typically delimited from the filename itself by a dot.

I'm not sure that the word "delimited" on its own is the best possible option here. Maybe "separated", "separated out", or "delimited out"?
At first glance, "delimited" is good enough. However, when I copy-and-paste some parts of my document to Google Translate and DeepL in accordance to verify the passage in English is translated to my native language correctly, "delimited" fails and "separated out" works fine. And so I make a conclusion that "delimited" is not that precise as I want it.
Which word or collocation is the best to describe the filename.ext case?


texts:
Does "breakdown" mean "failure (to stick up to the promise - for example, promise the vaccine efficacy is 85%, yet actually  the efficacy is only 75%)"?

In the tumultuous rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, all eyes were on the United States this week, where the company had a highly public communication breakdown over the vaccine's efficacy with an expert panel overseeing a large study in the Americas. But on the other side of the Atlantic, the vaccine faces new concerns about safety as an explanation gains ground for the unusual strokes and clotting disorders recorded in at least 30 recipients.

Source:  Science


texts:
If not concerning currency or anything else related, this country is a great nation.

vs

  Not concerning currency or anything else related, this country is a great nation.

Is the first sentence grammatically correct by adding "if"? Do both sentences have the same meaning?


texts: Meaning of "I walked slam-bang into this character"

texts:
It's a sentence as an example under the entry "slam-bang" in Oxford Dictionary.

slam-bang: suddenly and forcefully or violently
I walked slam-bang into this character.

What does it mean?
Does the speaker really bump against somebody?


texts:
Claude threw himself into caring for little
  Jehan. He was more than a brother to the
  baby—he was the child’s mother and father!
  He had been taking care of Jehan for about
  a year when he heard the old women talking
  about the deformed orphan. When he looked
  at the unlucky creature, he was moved by
  deep compassion. He vowed in his heart to
  rear the child for the love of his brother. What
  if Jehan might prove to have some faults in
  the future? Perhaps this charity done in his
  name might be placed to his credit.

The first part of the cited sentence is more clear to me, Dose it mean: what if Jehan won't be a good person.

But I have not got any idea about the second part. meaning of"
 Perhaps this charity done in his
name might be placed to his credit"


texts:
I have a simple question. I'm just asking about the direction of motion of the tongue (or the tip of the tongue).

I know that the tongue moves from the R (initial position). Then, it quickly hits the alveolar tap or edge. Then, it rests for the E sound (final position).

I'd like to know if the tongue moves from inside of the mouth or an inner position to an outer position or from out to in.


texts: "Inside of" a state/country & "my life/the summer" (time period), and "One of the worst English"?

texts:
My friend recently said this and it just sounded wrong to me, but I don't know why:

"Despite having grown up inside of Ohio, he's a guy who has one of the worst English I've ever met inside of my life."

It would be very funny and ironic if he were using English wrong here, but I've tried looking it up and I don't see any rules regarding "inside of my life" vs "in my life" or "inside of Ohio" vs "in Ohio".

"One of the worst English" sounds a little funny, but I'm pretty sure it's correct.


texts: “The girl with a rubber band ‘on’ OR ‘in’ her hair”?

texts:
A girl tied her hair with a rubber band as shown in the picture.
Is it correct to say "She is the girl with a rubber band on/in her hair"?
Some native speakers says "in", others say "on". I am confused!
Note: there is a similarity between a rubber band and a wristband. A rubber band is around a bunch of hair and a wristband is around a wrist.
We don't say "the wristband is in the wrist"


texts: I failed exams OR I failed in exams? I failed math OR I failed in math?

texts:
While going through Swan's PEU, I encountered this sentence in its example:

  My parents expected too much of me when I was at school. They were terribly upset when I failed my exams.

Now this triggers a question in my mind.

Which ones are acceptable?

  I passed exams  I passed in exams  I failed exams  I failed in exams

Okay, if 'in' is incorrect, how do we say passing or failing in a particular subject?

  I passed/failed in math (exams) OR  I passed/failed math (exams)

What if I remove the parenthesis? I failed math does not seem a valid sentence.

Note: InE seems to be fine with passing/failing in exams as I hear almost everyone practicing it.


texts:
What does "has my best wishes" mean here?

  he told his long-suffering publisher John Murray that Napoleon 'has my
  best wishes to manure the fields of France with an invading army'

  Source

Isn't this supposed to be "my best wished for him to manure...?" because it means
"I wish that Napoleon will manure the fields of France with an invading army"?


texts:
1 How was the weather yesterday?
  2 What was the weather like yesterday?

and

  3 How was the bride?
  4 what was the bride like?

Are the two pairs of sentences correct? Is there any difference in meaning?


texts:
What will be the compound sentence of the following complex sentence ?

"If I did not help the autuority , the guilty would run away ."


texts: "Which of those is your cousin?" or "Whom of those is your cousin?"

texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct, and why?

  Which of those is your cousin?
  Whom of those is your cousin?

More generally, do we say "Which of those people?" or "Whom of those people?"


texts: Is the verb use in this sentence correct?

texts:
When finished with digging out ancient objects, archaeologists must interpret what they have found.

As far as l know 'V+ing' must be used in this example because we use 'V3' with passive. Am I wrong?


texts: "Comment on their character" or "comment on their characters"?

texts:
I would like to say a few words to comment on their character(s).

I am wondering if "character" in the sense of qualities of personality is a count noun and can be pluralized. Macmillan and Cambridge dictionaries are vague with reference to this. Macmillan says this specific usage is countable, while Cambridge suggests it is countable and uncountable.

When I talk about multiple people's different personalities should I use the plural?


texts: What's the difference between "to stroll" and "to wander"?

texts: I see a lot of people claiming that these two verbs really mean the same thing always or are used interchangeably, but I'm not sure about it because I think two words can share the same meaning for a certain context (i.e they can be synonyms)- but in some cases one communicates the idea better than the other. So, what's the difference between "to stroll" and "to wander"?


texts:
Do you like the squishing?
Would you like some squishing?
Would you like a squish?

Are these all written correctly? When do you  say squishing instead of squish, and vice versa?


texts: Is it still 'Honeymoon' if a couple does not go immediately after wedding; what's the synonym of honeymoon?

texts:
MM, OALD, Collins, WordWeb, Reference --none of them helped me.
What is the synonym of the word 'Honeymoon'?
Also, dictionaries say that it's the vacation taken by a couple just after they have got married. But what if for some reason, the couple could not go just after they got married but go after 10-15 days. Is it still Honeymoon? Remember, this is the first time they are going together after their wedding.
My personal take on the word is...

Honeymoon is the first time outing (or getaway!) with your spouse for leisure and spousal love

Help me.


texts: Can 'such' mean 'any such' ? Why? (1951 US, Truman to MacArthur)

texts:
Source

Truman drafted an order to MacArthur, which was issued under Bradley's signature:
I deeply regret that it becomes my duty as President ... to replace you ....
You will turn over your commands, effective at once, to Lt. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway. You are authorized to have issued such orders as are necessary to complete desired travel to such place as you select.

1. Am I right that such is a determiner, and not a pronoun here?
2. Regardless of 1, such must still refer to a noun. Yet no place has been broached? So did the writer mean 'ANY such place'?  Then why omit ANY?


texts: Does the phrase "literary servility" have a negative meaning in this paragraph

texts:
Following paragraph is from the novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin:

  Antagonised by Zamyatin's insistence on telling the truth as he saw it, by his open disdain for anything that smacked of literary servility.

I know servility means a willingness to serve. But in the above paragraph, it appears that "literary servility" has been used as something bad.

So, what is the meaning of literary servility in the above paragraph?


texts: "Gets dizzy" and comma splice when multiple events happen

texts:
Kevin gets dizzy, his sight blurs, and he falls.

Is the comma splice okay? Is the phrase "gets dizzy" grammatically correct? Is anything else wrong with above sentence?


texts: Which is more accurate to use as a modal verb: 'can' or 'could'?

texts:
I need your help. Which one of these two sentences is more accurate?

  1. Extreme rain can cause the river to flood the city

or

  1. Extreme rain could cause the river to flood the city


texts:
What are the structure and meaning of the "exhibiting" in the following piece of a passage?

  Well, the exhibit that I want you to attend is coming up. It's already
  started in fact, but it'll be at the gallery for the next month, which
  should give you plenty of time to complete this assignment. The name
  of the artist exhibiting there is Rose Frantzen.


texts: "shiver at the thought of" or shiver from the thought of"?

texts:
Tell me please which preposition is correct to use in the following sentence.

  Kate was shivering at/from the thought of being fired for turning up late.


texts: Is "follow their actions" semantically correct?

texts:
It doesn't sound idiomatic, but semantically it doesn't sound incorrect.

The verb follow can have the following meaning:

  To take as a model or precedent; imitate: followed my example and
  resigned.

Therefore, you can say "follow his actions". Or is it the case. I usually see things like "follow their lead", "follow their example", "follow them", but "follow their actions" is usually meant as "observe their actions".

So can we say:

  Don't just imitate people, don't just follow their actions, follow
  their beliefs, do whatever you want to do, believe in what you
  believe.

It really doesn't sound right, because people don't use it like that, but seems to be semantically correct.


texts: Give someone a tip ....(that is "tip someone ")

texts:
Is it natural to say:

  She gave the waitress a tip of $10.

Or

  She gave the waitress a $10 tip.

Do both of them sound natural. I guess the second sentence sounds natural, whereas the first one doesn't.  What do you think? Do they sound natural as this one: she tipped the waitress $10.


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

texts:
He went on to talk about pollution

vs.

  He went on talking about pollution


texts:
I cannot find a satisfactory definition for the phrase:

"Too true, too true!"

Can anybody help?


texts: One word for spending money less than the amount that someone/something requires

texts:
What word should be used for the habit of spending money less than the amount that someone/something requires?

For example, how to say:

  Don't spend too little on your child's education?


texts:
I want to say a coupon can only be used one time, what should I put on it? Coupon expires after use, or Coupon void after use?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
When to use the former and the later? Example sentence:

  The brunch didn't fill me (up).


texts: Can we use present perfect for a finished event

texts:
My friend went to a concert of Bob Dylan 3 weeks ago. Today I met him and spoke with him about the concert. I know I can say, "hope you enjoyed the show," because the show is over, but would it be possible to use present perfect in this case instead? (Suppose I had not seen my friend since he went to the concert.)

Could I use the sentence below?

  I hope you have enjoyed the show.


texts: What does the expression 'seven for seven thirty ' mean?

texts:
I get invites which tell me I am expected at 7 for 7.30.
What time should I arrive?


texts: Difference between rest and a rest? How do we use both of them?

texts:
I am confused as to when to use 'rest' and 'a rest' in a sentence. I want to know the precise context when the article "a"  is used before 'rest'.

Example 1:

  I need rest

Example 2:

  I need a rest.

Do the above two sentences mean the same thing?

Thanks
Shreejaya


texts:
If we say that "X" has always existed even before when there was nothing, should we say:

  i. X has always been there.

  ii. There has always been X.

  iii. X has always existed.

  iv. X has always been eternal.

For the 'iv' what may come in mind is that what 'eternal' mean?

  Something that has always been and will always remain.

OR

  Something that will always remain.

Does the word 'eternal' cover the existence in past too?


texts:
During my leaning training, I came across this question when reading this sentence in my English workbook.

  a) What an interesting program this is!!

I wonder why "a" is used?? Why the answer book has only this sentence?
Why If I use "the" instead of "a" (like in the sentence below), that is wrong?

  b) What the interesting program this is!!

I couldn't find any references in my study-aid book.
But I think I can use "the" in this sentence because using "a" implies that I don't know the program. So I think there is a possibility to use "the".

Please tell me is my thought wrong or not?


texts:
I trust you will show forbearance [to/for] me a few minutes more so that I can finish this work.

Which is the correct preposition which is to be used with forbearance in the above sentence ? I looked for it in a few dictionaries but couldn't find answer for my query.


texts:
I came across the phrase luck of late in the short story The Thief by Ruskin Bond(Para 2 Line 2):

I approached him. He was about twenty, a tall, lean fellow, and he looked kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into this young person’s confidence.

I'm unable to comprehend its meaning nor can I look it up.
I wonder if it simply means the narrator approached him without any delay or something else.


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the verb "identify".  Could "identify" be used in two directions like the following:

  John Doe was identified as the intruder of the meeting.
  The intruder of meeting was identified as John Doe.

?


texts: What do you call the plastic tube you put in a glass to drink? (image included)

texts: Would you please tell me what does this called in English?


texts: I understand the word "remain", but I cannot understand why it's remina-nts, it looks like someone incorrectly write down the word re-main into re-mina, so hilarious.... Not to be offend because I know nothing about it, but I'm very willing to understand the story behind the scene!


texts:
I'm not able to make it fly high.

If I change not able to unable, will it retain the same meaning? When should I use not able and when unable?

Is the phrase fly high correct? Suppose I'm trying to make a helicopter fly high, but it's not gaining altitude and I say "I'm not able to make it fly high." to mean that.


texts: "My feet came up out of the sand" vs. "I took my feet out of the sand"

texts:
My feet came up out of the sand.
  I took my feet out of the sand.

Which sentence is better? Why?
What are the differences between these sentences?


texts:
I am a bit confused, as I know I should not use "could"+verb in the sense of a possibility in the past, such as "He could go there yesterday but he did not". I am well aware I should use past modals here.

One book, however, mentions that could can be used also for "general past possibility", which quite confuses me. I know I can use it for abilities, with senses or mental processes (He thought he could.). What does this general past probability mean? What would be an example of that?

To make it clear, I am not asking about usage of past modals. I am aware of that. I am specifically asking about "could" in situations when it refers to "general possibility in the past".


texts:
Please, check these two sentences. I would like to know if they sound natural.

1.

  I think I heard an oink. We must've wandered onto a farm.

2.

  Something was oinking behind the corner. It must be the neighbor's piglets.


texts: Why is 'on' separated with 'to' in this sentence?

texts:
Sentence:

  incautiously held it upright, whereupon the tobacco fell out ON TO the floor
  (George Orwell, 1984. Page #8)

Additional information:

  I know that when we describe some movement (e.g. into the room, onto the bus, onto the shelf, onto the bed) we always should use preposition of movement (into, onto etc)

Question:

  Why is 'on' separated with 'to' in the sentence


texts: is it possible to change the voice of these sentences?

texts:
I don't know if it is possible to change the voice of optatative and exclamatory sentence.

What are the passive form of these sentences
Suppose:

  go to the shop
  Hurrah! we have won the game!


texts:
Can a possessive S be attached to nouns that are not human beings (or animals)?

For example, instead of saying "the back of the chair", can I say "the chair's back"?

I remember learning that not everything can get a possessive s, but this issue is not clear to me.


texts: "All you left with is nothing" vs "All you are left with is nothing"

texts:
"All you left with is nothing. "
"All you are left with is nothing."

Which one is correct? The latter one makes more sense to me. Thanks in advance!


texts:
I am having following constructions

  my supervisor strongly recommend for an extension.
  I would like to apply for one year extension period.
  I have been granted a scholarship.

Would the following sentence be a way to write the previous sentence in a single sentence?

  Therefore, with my supervisor's strong recommendation, I would like to apply for one year extension period for my scholarship that I have been granted.


texts: The meaning of "around" in these sentences

texts:
What's working around communication? What's not?

  What's working for you around influence? What's not?

Please tell me the meaning of these sentences. I have problem with the word ((around)) and so I can't understand the meaning of these sentences.

These questions were found in a leadership coaching blog:

  Coaching Questions to Explore with Clients:

  What's working around communication? What's not?
  Thinking about your team, what are their preferences around communication? What are your preferences around communication?
  What are the strengths you bring to communication?
  What are your communication blindspots?
  What difficult conversations need to happen?

  Coaching Questions to Explore with Clients:

  What does influence mean for you?
  What does influence look like?
  Where is influence most important to you in your role/team/department?
  What's working for you around influence? What's not?


texts:
I came across this usage in a DevExpress support ticket:

It is automatically checked if the corresponding value presents in the filter.

I think it should be either "is present" or "presents itself", however the latter is unlikely. What do you think about this?


texts: Passive vs. Active voice in Present Simple

texts:
What would be the passive voice of the following sentence?

  She opens window frequently.

Is this correct?

  Window is opened frequently.


texts: I have never been here or I have never been there, which is more natural?

texts:
A friend of mine invited me to visit her.
She was afraid that I would get lost, so she said she would be waiting for me at the bus station.

When we finally met at the bus station, I said,

  "Sorry I am late. I have never been here."

Is it natural to say  I have never been here in this conversation?
Or instead, should I say I have never been there?


texts:
I know that giving positive answers to requests with could may sound impolite or taken as  indirect negative answers -correct me if I am wrong- as follows:

  A: Could you help me with moving out?

  B: Yes, I could.

And I always found the conditional could used in polite requests (question form), but never in statements like the one in the business dialogue below until recently (aside from the past tense and deductions usage)

I have asked about the use of could before in the comments here, but I'm afraid I didn't explain myself as clearly as I should be. However, I found the dialogue below as a confirmation that "could" in the title is used to give the meaning in the present.

  A As you know we've established a reputation in China. So, we propose
  that the sandwiches and cookies should be packaged and sold in our
  branded wrapping.

  B I'm afraid we couldn't agree to that because we put everything in
  our own branded bag and it's company policy not to change this.

  A OK, but it's important for our corporate image for your customers to
  recognize us as the suppliers of the goods so there should, at least,
  be a label with our company logo on it.

  B I'm sorry but that's out of the question, I'm afraid for the same
  reasons I just explained.

  A If that's the case, then we can't offer you exactly the same
  products as the ones we currently sell. There'll have to be changes.

  B I see your point but we only want exactly the same goods as you sell
  now.

  A Then, we'll have to increase the price of our products, if you can't
  compromise on this.

  B I think we could go along with that. And what about in-shop signs
  quoting your company as the suppliers? I think that could be arranged...

Source: here

The question is made simple to conform with SE guidelines. Is my understanding of could in the present is correct?


texts: which one is correct " to+verb+rather than+(verb+ing or to+verb)

texts:
which one is correct :

  I prefer to live with someone rather than to live alone

or

  I prefer to live with someone rather than living alone


texts:
Other experts also have little doubt that China was behind this
  attack.

This is quoted from: http://motherboard.vice.com/read/did-china-just-launch-a-cyber-attack-on-github

When I was learning English I was told little means very very less while a little means some. According to the context it seems the experts were quite sure it's an attack from the China Government, then why not use a little doubt here. What kind of meaning is the author trying to convey?


texts: Participles to modify the subject of the main clause

texts:
"Essos is an immense landmass located to the east of Westeros,
  extending into the far east of the known world." (Here, "extending"
  describes the Essos or does it describes the landmass? )

Having seen this sentence above, I question came to my mind.

Can I use participles to modify the subject of the main clause when there is no connection between main clause and participle clause. For example:

  1- "He is a bookworm, living in Canada. (He is a bookworm + He lives in
  Canada, there is no connection between being bookworm and living in
  Canada)

  2- He, living in Canada, is a book worm. (I suppose, this placement would be more correct)


texts: Difference between the words "quantify" and " assess" in the following sentence

texts:
According to Thesaurus, the words "quantify" and "assess" are synonyms. Is there, however, a difference in meaning between the two words in for example a sentence such as:

  The [some effect] effect cannot be assessed by solely observing changes in X, since other effects may also influence changes in X.

OR

  The [some effect] effect cannot be quantified by solely observing changes in X, since other effects may also influence changes in X.


texts: I found some articles with the title “Let the Backlash Begin!” and I cannot understand the meaning of the phrase. Could someone explain it?


texts: What does "tier-one friendship request" mean?

texts:
This line was said by Sheldon Cooper in the Big Bang Theory. I have looked up the meaning of the word "tier" in many dictionaries. I still don't get the gist of it in this context. The dialog is as follows.

Leonard: Please, I’m asking you as a friend.
Sheldon: Are you making this a tier-one friendship request?

If he told him "two-tier friendship request", how would the meaning be different?


texts: Can a phrase including past participle in mid be used right behind the preposition 'of '?

texts:
For all the English grammar my teacher taught me, the element put right after the preposition 'of' can be:

  1, noun.  The leg of the desk   2. gerund leading phrase which acts as a noun -
  The result of giving your children anything they want.  3. gerund leading phrase which starts with possessive pronoun- The good effect of my giving you aid in time.

However, recently I read such sentence structure following the preposition 'of', for instance,

  1.'The spectacle of gunners using science of shatter men's body'.  2.'The result of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life'.

The two examples above are not in the three conditions I know about the usage of preposition 'of'.

Can anybody analyze the grammar for me??   I make the following sentences when i try to imitate the example, and please see if they are right or not.

  'The consequence of the troops occupying the abandoned factory'
  'The finding of Gus abducted and sent to an unknown place 10 years ago'


texts: "The same name" vs "a same name": what's the difference?

texts:
Since I'm confused with these two phrases, I did a search in Google Books hoping to find some examples. But then I found this paragraph:

  Two private spaces or replicas cannot contain the same object with two distinct references. For example, during a disconnected phase, the pump can be present in two different private spaces and still be designated with the same name. During a meeting, two replicas use a same name to access the pump object(local or distant).

This made me more confused. I don't really understand why "the same name" was used in one sentence while "a same name" was used in another. Are there any differences between them?


texts:
I watched a movie by Harrison Ford and there are some lines,

H: I can't talk to you.

J: You can't talk? You won't talk? You don't want to talk?

H: I can't talk. I won't talk. I don't want to talk.

H was fired by a cigarette company and J was a journalist who wanted to ask for some dirty secretes about the company from H. This conversation was by tax.

I guess I know "can't talk" here means "I am not allowed to talk". I also think I know the difference between "you won't" and "you don't want". They both mean admonition. But I am not sure what is the difference between "I won't" and "I don't want".


texts: what is the grammar role of "by studying in groups" in this sentence?

texts:
What is the role of "by studying in groups" in the following sentence? Is it ok Grammatically?

  By studying in groups, students can learn better.


texts:
What's the difference between "sky" and "skies"?

I'm really confused since I watched a news saying "People cheered and clapped as the moon blocked the sun for about 2.5 minutes under clear skies on the icy Norwegian islands of Svalbard"

Why does it use the word "Skies"? rather than "Sky"?

Thank you!


texts:
I would like to appreciate the team for the support.

For present perfect, can I say:

  "I have come, today"

or

  "I come today"

For past simple:

  "I come two days ago"

or

  "I came two days ago"


texts:
Let's say you were storytelling your past academic shortcomings. And you say:

  "I was not a perfect student when I was still studying at school. For instance, I had handed in projects which were past the deadline, this is just one those shortcomings I had when I was still a school learner."

Is this sentence construction, particularly the bold letters, grammatical?.

I have used ''had'' for several projects that were overdue the given date(in the past)--is it correct?
Also, is it ''the deadline'' or ''the deadlines'' or ''deadlines''?


texts:
Hardly did she finish the typing when the Manager entered the room with some more work.

Is this correct to use "the" before "typing". I checked "typing" is noun. But answer sheet explain that it should be "typing" or "the typing work". It insist on using "work" after "tying" if we want to use "the" article.


texts:
Often is an adverb according to Oxford Dictionaries Online.

  ADVERB

  1 Frequently; many times.

  'he often goes for long walks by himself'
  'how often do you have your hair cut?'

  1.1 In many instances.
  'vocabulary often reflects social standing'

As an adverb, it should not be a complement of BE as this answer explains and as Huddleston & Pullum (2005:123) say in A Student's Introduction to English Grammar:

  Most adjectives can function as predicative complement as well as noun modifier, but adverbs do not normally occur in this function. Again the difference is most easily seen by taking adjective-adverb pairs related by ·ly:

  MODIFIER
  i. impressive performance [Adjective]
  ii She performed impressively [Adverb]

  PREDICATIVE COMPLEMENT
  i. Her performance was impressive. [Adjective]
  ii. *Her performance was impressively.[Adverb]

However, on page 253, Huddleston & Pullum use the following sentence as an example of it-cleft construction.

  It isn't often that she misses a class.

  This it-cleft sentence derives from its canonical counterpart:

  She doesn't often miss a class.

Often in the it-cleft construction is used a complement of BE. So the question is, how can the adverb often function as a complement of BE? Is the 'cleft' construction an exception?


texts:
Can I change the active voice "I open the door" to passive voice:

"The door is open by me"?

Or is it:

"The door is opened by me"?


texts: "no sooner had the tree {been fallen/fallen} than..."

texts:
No sooner had the tree been fallen  than it's branches were cut off.

No sooner had the tree fallen than it's branches were cut off.

Can you tell me which is right?


texts: What does 'hymnodies' refer to in this context?

texts:
Following is a quote from the novel, "Requiem, Changing Times" by R J Parker (emphasis mine):

"I had that rash on my face from that fish Mom got - that was the last meal that came out of that restaurant - on my face. I was going to tell Mom and you told me it was nothing to worry about and before I went to school you told me I had 'hymnodies' on my face. You said if I told Mom it would only make mom angry if she had to stay home from work to take care of me. So, I went to school telling everybody that I have hymnodies on my face."

What does "hymnodies" refer to in this context?
Dictionary provides the following meanings:

hymn singing
hymn writing
the hymns of a time, place, or church

From the sound of it, the word appears to refer to some kind of a skin disease. What exactly does it mean?


texts: How to interpret 'pure hokum' correctly?

texts:
Source: 'The 10 best… closing lines of books', The Guadian broadsheet, by Robert McCrum

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

"But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can't stand it. I been there before."

This is a heartbreaker. Twain rounds off his masterpiece by saying that Huck Finn is fated, like all Americans, to an incessant quest for the challenge of the frontier. For sheer teenage disaffection, it's matched by the last line of Catcher in the Rye: "Don't tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." And also from the US, let's not forget Margaret Mitchell's ending to Gone With the Wind: "After all, tomorrow is another day." Pure hokum, like the novel.

What exactly is the author implying? I consulted hokum, but although I haven't read all these novels (I contend against time), I know that these are literary classics, which cannot be esteemed 'hokum'?


texts: "they took it into their heads to systematically represent Saint-Just wearing an earring"

texts:
In fact, it is at the moment when wearing them became exclusively feminine that they took it into their heads to systematically represent Saint-Just wearing an earring.

Source: http://revolution-fr.livejournal.com/88673.html
Do you think that this sentence is OK in terms of wording? I understand this in this way: In many representations of Saint Just he is portrayed with earring in his ear. This fact is drummed into heads of the public ("they took it into their heads"). The picture of Saint Just's wearing earring "feminizes" him. I have problems with phrases "wearing them" and "wearing earring" when firstly is the pronoun used and just then the noun.


texts: He squandered the money { on / in } gambling?

texts:
He squandered the money in gambling.
He squandered the money on gambling.

I think in gambling is correct, but when I speak on gambling, that also sounds correct. I think both are correct.

If it is so, what is the difference?


texts:
"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground?
Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin
hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one
dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might
have ter put it out of its misery."
(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

What is the formal expression for ‘bin hurt’?


texts:
The food, ______ good, was soon sold out when it was taken to the market.

A. being tasted B. tasted C. having tasted D. tasting


texts: Is it true to make a question from the part ”its been

texts:
It's been a long time you have not seen each other

What's the tag question for this sentence?


texts:
Could you help me with rephrase the hightlighted sentence, which I am not sure I understand it correctly.

  Psychology as the behaviorist views it is a purely objective
  experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical goal is the
  prediction and control of behavior. Introspection forms no essential
  part of its methods, nor is the scientific value of its data dependent
  upon the readiness with which they lend themselves to interpretation
  in terms of consciousness. The behaviorist, in his efforts to get a
  unitary scheme of animal response, recognizes no dividing line between
  man and brute. The behavior of man, with all of its refinement and
  complexity, forms only a part of the behaviorist's total scheme of
  investigation

http://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html

here is my work :

Introspection does not form any essential
 part of its methods

Introspection is not the scientific value of its data dependent
 upon the readiness with which they lend themselves to interpretation
in terms of consciousness.

yeah I stuck in these words a bit.I couldn't figure out which sense the word readiness was used? and what could "they lend themselves" mean?

Thank you


texts: Is the phrase "grow up in my career" OK?

texts:
The following:

In spite of having quite good working conditions, I'm looking for
opportunities to grow up in my career.

Does it sound ok? I'm not sure about the second part of the sentence, especially the phrase "to grow up in my career".


texts:
Whats
 the difference between the following sentences :

  For now it's contain the following features:

and

  For now it contains the following features:

I know that this is a simple question but some times i find problem with that!


texts: Difference between: Has Katy got / Does Katy have

texts:
English is my second language and I am trying to help someone to pass a spoken English exam (GESE trinity) in the book they ask the question:

Has Katy got a football?

If I would ask that question I would ask:

Does Katy have a football?

Is there a difference between the sentences, is the way I would ask it wrong? After thinking about it I realized I don't really use "got" at all whet asking if someone has something. Another question was this:

What have you got on your desk?

Again I would ask:

What do you have on your desk?

What the difference here?


texts:
One of my favorite songs on my school years was Drop Dead Legs from the album "1984" of Van Halen. (It was one of the first cassette I bought).

My language is Spanish. I've always imagined that the song is about a woman who has fat legs, in the shape of a drop of liquid. This idea was confirmed after the TV series Drop Dead Diva, in which the protagonist is a large woman.

Currently I am learning English and I noticed that the word "drop" refers not only to the object (tear drop, rain drop), but also a verb related to falling, release, lower (the type of moves that would make a water drop). And when I look for the translation of "drop dead legs" I find results that are more associated to the verb, and in Spanish are incomprehensible (ex. soltar piernas muertas).

I guess then that drop dead is an idiom, but I could not find its true meaning. And what interests me most is knowing that relates to death.


texts: "Hadley had thought, I WILL offer him coffee."

texts:
PUMPKIN HEAD (JOYCE CAROL OATES):

  Outside, while Anton had been changing the floodlight, Hadley had thought, I will offer him coffee.

I have asked a question about using will in the past before. I got it answered:

  StoneyB: "It is permissible (but not obligatory) to use will in these circumstances if it refers to an event which is still in the future at the time the sentence is uttered."

But the sentence I cited is not this case, because it is a happened story and everything is in the past. Can you explain this usage of will? Why would was not used?

I just thought that if the quotes were used, it would be understandable. Because it was the actual thought in her head at the moment.

  Hadley had thought: "I will offer him coffee." (with quotes)


texts:
I have come across the expression “speak the language of” a lot on news. But I am not sure about its exact meaning.  I find one entry in OED which seems to be relevant.

  Language:

  b. The vocabulary or phraseology of a particular sphere, discipline,
  profession, social group, etc.; jargon.

But I feel “speak the language of” in the examples below seem to be figurative. Could you explain its meaning?

The father of two is currently focused on his new venture called Dark Water, a trio made up of himself, his brother Brandon (formerly of Train) and their longtime collaborator Benji Shanks. “We speak the language of brothers, but also, we speak the language of musicians,” Kristian explained in an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife.

https://hollywoodlife.com/2019/12/17/kristian-bush-dark-water-new-music-interview/
How to speak the language of love to get someone into bed, psychologist explains

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/love-sex/how-speak-language-love-someone-21033189
These are people who speak the language of entrepreneurialism and opportunity, people whose lives as administrators, lawyers, professionals are often made at the interstices of the very bureaucracies that Brexiters resented as opaque, impenetrable, and non-representative.

https://theoutline.com/post/8433/labour-defeat-brexit-democrats?zd=1&zi=6nyypqjx


texts: Use of "can" or "may" to imply possibility

texts:
1."There can/may be many reasons for this".

2."It can/may rain tomorrow."

I thought that my concept is clear regarding difference between 'can' and 'may',but I get confused while using them in aforementioned lines.


texts: Can I omit the "was'ses" In the following list?

texts:
Her hair was not too long or too short, her face (was) not too round
  or too angular, her body (was) not too thin or too thick.

I think you can omit "was" in certains lists. But I'm not sure if that's allowed in the example above.


texts: Is there a word for lighting striking twice?

texts: Looking for word to describe something extremely rare, specifically lightning striking twice. Is there any word for this?


texts: In terms of grabbing audience's attention what does "prop" mean?

texts:
The video (https://youtu.be/Veg4JqsEXJo?t=22) is talking about the tips of video presentation

  ... do something to catch
  their attention it might be using a prop
  it might be jumping in off a screen

I am aware of "jumping in off a screen", though, I don't know what does "prop" mean.

Google gives these definitions

  support or keep in position.

  (of a horse) come to a dead stop with the forelegs rigid.

I guess neither of them could be used to grab audience's attention.


texts: "might as well be" vs "could very well be"

texts:
Compare these sentences:

This woman standing right next to him in this picture could very well be his mother

This woman standing right next to him in this picture might as well be his mother

Are they correct and do they mean the same thing?


texts: Do "three consecutive days" mean the same as "three straight days"?

texts:
Are the two phrases equivalent?

Example sentences:

  Mary had stayed in this hotel for five consecutive days.

  Mary had stayed in this hotel for five straight days.


texts: "Breastfeed your baby longer" -I'm stuck with this sentence

texts:
I want to say that it is scientifically proven that breastfeeding helps babies grow better. As a doctor I know that human milk also gives immunity to babies and that is the reason, I want to advise mothers that breastfeed your babies ________________?

Now I'm stuck with this sentence!

Mothers leave breastfeeding their babies in a few months or may be a year. But I want to say that feed babies longer -say one and a half year or two years. But I don't want to be specific about this 'number'. I want to say that breastfeed as long as possible (Ah, this is weird!)

Now longer does not mean extending 'the period'. Someone may think that instead of she feeding a baby for just 5 minutes, should feed for 15 minutes -longer.

Feed your babies for years sounds awkward! Feed your babies for more period sounds again ambiguous.

Don't try to fill in the blank, it's not a strict rule here. I'm looking for a sentence that gives a clear message without any ambiguity.

A good answer can be used in a multiple way.

For instance, may be...

  Long fed babies have better immunity

But 'long'? See there, I'm again stuck! :)


texts:
It seemed a romantic business to be a successful literary man—you were not ever going to be as famous as a movie star but what note you had was probably longer-lived

from F.Scott Fitzgerald, The Crack-Up


texts: Which words are prevalent in relation to mathematics: task, exercise, question or problem

texts:
When we are talking about an exam or end-of-term test in mathematics, is it more common to describe the main parts of a problem set as:

Tasks
Exercises
Questions
Problems

and what is the proper name for the subproblems? I have little idea of how the distribution of the usage of those various words in this regard is, and if there is a choice of words that is more idiomatic or prevalent throughout the native speaker communities. Is there a difference between US-English and British-English too?

Any clarifications or discussions about the usage of any of the suggested words above or other words describing the same are very welcome, indeed!

CONTEXT: I teach mathematics at an international line of the Danish so-called Gymnasium (upper secondary level). And I am trying to converge on a standard usage of the English so that we do not invent local mal-practices, but it is quite difficult at times since I still have a lot of uncertainties above specific words myself.


texts: difference between "work alongside you" and "work alongside with you"

texts:
Is there a difference between

  work alongside you vs work alongside with you

The definition of "alongside" indicates with is not needed.

  definition

  next to
  in company with

But it's not uncommon to see/hear the phrase "work alongside with you".

Are both expressions interchangeable ?


texts: Does "enabling" have a negative meaning here?

texts:
I will always hope that we might be reconciled, and I hope for the
sake of my brother’s wife and family that he’s mellowed and changed.
But while I’ll always watch for signs that the family culture has
shifted away from secrets and enabling, I don’t wait for them.(Tara Westover)

I know the meaning of enabling and I thought it always had a positive meaning but here it seems have a negative meaning. Am I correct? And Does "enabling" mean "providing the power, means, opportunity, or authority to allow someone to do something" or something else?
Could you please explain it to me?
The full text is here.


texts: "copper in liquid state" or "copper in the liquid state"?

texts:
Which is correct or more correct? Why?

Copper in liquid state
Copper in the liquid state


texts: What noun or a phrase would fit well to refer to a person's "placement" in the family?

texts:
What noun or a phrase would fit well to refer to a person's "placement" in the family, among his or her siblings?:

  She is the fourth and the last child in her family. Her siblings are
  all brothers and the youngest one is ten years older than her. Girls
  of this family status are usually more mature and less shallow.

How can I ask a person in which order in his family among the siblings? is seeking how to ask a question about one of the constituent factors, while I'm looking for a term that would refer to a particular combination of constituent factors.

To use an example, letter "l" is the third letter in both "owls" and "delamination". That that letter is the third one is a constituent factor that plays its part in both combinations.

However, the combinations are quite different:

one word is a combination of four letters, the other one is a combination of twelve;
in the first combination there are more letters preceding "l" than those following it, in the second combination it is the other way around;
in the first combination, letter "l" it is surrounded by consonants, in the second combination by vowels;
etc.


texts: Why can't I use "Despite" even if it's a noun phrase?

texts:
According to my Cambridge preparation Test:

WRONG:
I was lucky enough to fulfill an ambition and visit the Galapagos Islands two years ago. DESPITE no substitute for a visit, this superbly attractive book provides a fascinating commentary and scientific background to the Galapagos experience.

RIGHT:
I was lucky enough to fulfill an ambition and visit the Galapagos Islands two years ago. WHILE no substitute for a visit, this superbly attractive book provides a fascinating commentary and scientific background to the Galapagos experience.

I read that DESPITE is a preposition, but I don't understand why it's not suitable for this sentence.


texts:
Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/ufo-spotted-above-the-moon-s-surface-explorers-from-another-planet-video

  Back in 1968 a photo from an old lunar orbiter caught the image of a spaceship tucked into the bottom of the moon’s Manilius Crater. That was over four decades ago, so seeing UFOs on the moon and scoping the moon out from above is nothing new.
  If Earth can visit Mars and take in all the sights, why can’t a planet be checking out the moon? Maybe they are checking out the Earth from a hidden observation point on the moon and the periodic reports of UFOs on or flying over the moon stem from this?

I'm not sure what that means. Please help me.


texts: What does "get us by" mean in this sentence?

texts:
The sentence goes as follow:

Being rationally uncommitted does not do away with all the other
sources of motivation that get us by — habit, desire, fear of the law
and so on.

I googled the phrase and got this: get by means "to be able to live or deal with a situation with difficulty, usually by having just enough of something you need, such as money".
It seems slightly odd to adapt the above definition to this sentence. Is this the case? What does it mean by "motivations that get us by"?


texts: Difference: 'leave somebody wondering' vs. 'make somebody wonder'?

texts:
Is there a difference between (a) 'leave somebody wondering' and (b) 'make somebody wonder'? If so, what difference?
Is there some difference in aspect?
For example, does 'leave somebody wondering' somehow imply that the wondering happens after a certain action, while 'make somebody wonder' implies that the wondering happens during a certain action?


texts:
I have this sentence:

  This man was an accomplice with the thief.

It sounds very unnatural to me as, correct me if I am wrong, "accomplice" conveys that the man was with the criminal i.e helping the criminal, so use of "with" in the sentence makes it superfluous.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/accomplice states that both "with" and "of" can be used. Please specify where to use which one.


texts: small hints vs. little hints vs. few hints

texts:
Does "small hints" sound odd to you? Google Ngram shows that almost none uses it while a majority of people use "little hints" or "few hints": Google Ngram.

There could be several stars made of antimatter in our solar system’s neighbourhood. There have been small hints that these strange and unlikely objects, called antistars, could exist, and a search for the gamma rays that they are expected to produce has turned up 14 candidates.

Source:  New Scientist


texts:
while @elmoehussaini posted: “We got a PM who’s [sic] 93 years old. We got a Team of Eminent Persons to repair the economy who are of 60 years old and above. I guess the “I’m too old for this s***” is no longer valid."

Quoted from South China Morning Post (scmp)

The sentence labelled as sic. What wrong with who's which is abbreviation for “who is”?


texts:
Consider this example:

  John: Did you go to church  today?

  James: Yes I Did

  John: You better did

My confusion is the use of and correctness of the the last response, "you better did."

Is this correct and which is the correct way to put that?


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase "send sb/sth careering"?

texts:
I found in the novel 'The Ladykiller' by Martina Cole the following:

'His mother's fist hit him in the back of his head and sent him careering into the room.'

What is the meaning of the phrase 'send somebody/something careering'?Is this phrase an idiom?
I found in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English the following:
send somebody/something flying/sprawling/reeling etc = to make someone or something move quickly through the air or across something. For eg. The explosion sent glass flying everywhere.
Do the phrases 'send somebody/something careering ' and 'send sb/sth flying/sprawling/reeling etc' have the same meaning?
Is there any dictionary that mentions all the words which can be used in the phrase 'send somebody/something ...ing'?


texts: What is the difference between 'on' and 'against'?

texts:
Source

  The parents of a brother-sister duo accused of a horrific acid attack on a pregnant woman and her 2-year-old daughter have been arrested.

In the sentence

  "acid attack against a pregnant woman"

what is the difference between 'on' and 'against'? Why was the preposition on preferred in the newspaper article?


texts: "I suggest you to have cooked soup" vs "I suggest you cook soup"

texts:
I have a Complex Object question.

Is it possible to say

  "I suggest you to have cooked soup"

instead of:

  "I suggest you cook soup"

to express finished action? Or is it a rude mistake to use Perfect Infinitive here?


texts: "would" vs "must" in drawing logical conclusion or presumption

texts:
One of the use of would has been  listed below:

  You use would , or would have with a past participle, to indicate that you are assuming or guessing that something is true, because you have good reasons for thinking it.

⇒ You wouldn't know him.

⇒ His fans would already be familiar with Caroline.

⇒ That would have been Della's car.

⇒ He made a promise to his great-grandfather? That would have been a long time ago.

⇒ It was half seven; her mother would be annoyed because he was so late.

Source :http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/would

What I'm most confused(not understood) is as follows:

Use of would is just like the use of 'must' for drawing logical conclusion or presumption: for example:

*His fans would already be familar with caroline.

  You mustn't know him.That must have been Della's car.

So, how would is different from 'must' in this usage ?

I would appreciate your helpful responses.Thank you.


texts: Asking someone about someone else in your greetings

texts:
Person 'X' and person 'Y' live together.
You bump into the person 'X' on street and what to ask the 'X' about the person 'Y'.
How would you ask informally how a person "Y's" life is going during your greeting?
I can think of four sentences, but I have no idea whether they all naturally and idiomatically work in this sense:

a. How's everything with 'Y'?
b. What's up with 'Y'?
c. How's it going with 'Y'?
d. How's 'Y' doing?

If no, then please let me know how they do not work and what is the best way to ask about such that thing?


texts: Function of past perfect in present context

texts:
Strange Obsessions has long been the holy grail of fervent record collectors worldwide. Rumors have abound that this album had been released in Holland and or that there were a small number of white label test pressings in existence but none of these claims have ever been substantiated. As far as I can ascertain, this is the first time that ten of these tracks have become commercially available anywhere. The fruits of these Chas Chandler sessions had only been previously hinted at with the bands final singles and the track All I Wanna Do Is Rock ‘N’ Roll that appeared on the American only Polydor compilation album Made In Britain.

Looking at this paragraph, there are 2 past perfects: had been released and had only been hinted.

I just would like to know if both past perfects could have been changed in past simple, what would be the change in meaning

I think past perfect is not obligatory in this case because the order of the action is really clear. First you must release the record before having test pressing, same kind of thing for the second one. So is past perfect used to emphasize the release of the record and to make clearer the link between the release and the test pressing?


texts:
1)I mean his phone bill alone last year must have come to twenty G's
  (he's got lines open to all the tracks and ballparks all day long,
  you know), but only ten years ago he would have had to sweat blood
  before he coulda raised a lousy fin.

  2)But they were extremely fond of Max, anyway. He didn't push, he was
  always good for a fin, and though he never complained, it had been
  hard for him since his wife died.

  -The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler -

I looked 'fin' up in the dictionary. It means a five dollar bill in slang, but it doesn't make sense here. What is the meaning of 'fin' here?


texts: Which language do you speak best or the best?

texts:
Look at this dialogue:

  -What languages do you speak?

  -Persian, English and French.

  -Which one do you speak the best?

  -English.

About "the best", a native tells me he finds using the quite unnatural.

My search shows it is obvious that the omission of "the" outnumbers the inclusion of "the" considerably. Nevertheless, I am sure I have read this usage, the best as an adverb, in such sentences in a number of educational materials.

I would like to know the comments of natives on this. Is it wrong or unnatural?

Links are appreciated.


texts: the usage of 'with us' in 'Thank you for shopping with us'

texts:
I can see 'with us' on bus or on supermarket walls like

  Thank you for traveling with us (on bus)

or

  Thank you for shopping with us (in a supermarket).

I am confused why don't use 'travel by us' or 'shop at us' etc. does 'with' here has some extra meaning compared to those words?


texts: Is there any difference in meaning between the past simple and the past continuous when used before "till" or "until"?

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the past simple and the past continuous when used before till? For example:

I worked till midnight and then went to bed.
I was working till midnight and then went to bed.

I cannot seen any difference between then. Are both totally interchangeable there?


texts:
In a scenario, we have 15 people in the team. We are requested to split into 3 groups(each has 5) to make the reporting.

By looking up a dictionary, the word "by" can mean:

  used to show what unit of measurement or quantity is involved in selling, paying for, producing etc. something

For example, we are paid by the hour.

Similarly, can we use "by the group" to describe the idea above? Like:

  We are requested to make the reporting by the group.

It doesn't seem right because "the group" sounds more like the specific group rather as a unit.

What would be the correct way(or the correct usage of by) to express it here, if it's not correct?


texts: Correct way to ask "no chance you can do it?"

texts:
Which one sounds more natural to a native speaker?

#1

  So, no chance to do it?

  I think there maybe is

#2

  So no way you can do it?

  I probably can

Or is there a better phrase that a native speaker would use?

There has to be negation in the question. It can't be like "Can you do this?".


texts:
Such rumors are commonly heard these days.

I converted this as:

  We hear these rumors commonly these days.

Is it the correct active form?


texts: "Choice of food to eat" versus "Choice of /which/ food to eat"

texts:
In preparation for an upcoming law school entrance exam, I've been taking a number of practice tests, sections of which being English Proficiency. On one of them, I came across this item:

  Directions: Choose the answer which will produce the most effective sentence.

  When Leonard was just starting to work out, he was given a limited choice of which food to eat--fruit smoothie, vegetable salad, or soup.

  A) he was given a limited choice of which food to eat

  B) he was given a limited choice of food to eat

Apparently, the correct answer was B. However, the reviewer does not provide the grammar rules that dictate the answers to its items, so I've come here.

What are the rules when using an "a choice of..." phrase? When is it right to use the word "which"?


texts: Dropping "is" / "are" with dropping "that"

texts:
The word that is often dropped in an informal speech.

But what about dropping is and are? Consider the following examples:

Examples that are not intended to be used in real documents: ...
Examples are not intended to be used in real documents: ...
Examples not intended to be used in real documents: ...

Are both 2 and 3 correct?


texts:
I've wanted to tell someone that this was how I wanted to close the week since 2016 when I stopped sailing...
But I didn't and I still don't know what was correct

  That's how I wanted to close the week since 2016 when I stopped sailing.
  That's how I've wanted to close the week since 2016 when I stopped sailing.


texts: A person who is always in front of the computer

texts:
I have a friend who is always in front of the computer and spends a great amount of time surfing the internet or doing anything related to the computer.

How can you describe this person in a word?


texts: What's the kind of construction thats used in above sentence? I understand it as depending on us but I am not sure. Does this only work with "it is" ?


texts: In or on which one to use? "Splurges in" vs. "splurges on"

texts:
The difference between in and on can be seen very clearly with concrete objects like the book is in the drawer or on the table but when it comes to verbs is there any effect or difference for that matter?

  Splurges in expensive clothing or splurges on expensive clothing?

Is there any difference?


texts:
What's more likely to be used out of the two:

  How long have you been off your meds?

  How long haven't you been taking your meds?


texts:
An enterprise social network can improve your business, help you ferret out knowledge among your staff, and gauge your organization’s internal temperature.

What does gauge your organization’s internal temperature mean? Does it mean estimate?


texts: Culture is "laid back" or "forward looking"

texts:
I recently read this comparison on Athens and Sparta, and the culture part caught my eye.

I googled for the meaning, but came up with nothing.

What does it mean to have a forward looking culture vs one that is laid back? Does it mean that you are looking to improve vs staying where you are, respectively? Any help would be appreciated.


texts: What's the correct positive answer for "Isn't it?"?

texts:
When one tells me a sentence and then asks me "isn't it?" and I want to answer that I agree with him.  Then what's the correct answer?

  Yes,  it is.

or

  No,  it is.

Because if I say "yes" to the question "Isn't it" it may be understood that I agree it is not. For example:  A: "Isn't it?" B: yes.  Meaning I don't agree,  it says I think it's indeed not true. As an English learner I found it very confusing.


texts: what is the meaning of "no more....than" in this context?

texts:
what is the meaning of "no more...than" in this context?

  The silly man, the arrogant inflated man, the cocksure man, is always
  a safe butt. Every observer has had some trick played upon him. The
  author has himself had his faith sorely shaken by deception until some
  compensating proof has come along to assure him that it was only a
  lesson which he had received, and that it was no more fiendish or
  even remarkable that disembodied intelligences should be hoaxers than
  that the same intelligence inside a human body should find amusement
  in the same foolish way.

from http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301051h.html


texts:
He is authorized individual support in the table A, 55 form.

Or

  He is authorized to receive individual support in the table A,55 form.

Which one is correct?

Thanks in advance.


texts: is "learn about company" a appropriate way to imply the meaning of "get info"?

texts:
in the job interview, i would like to get some info about the company, such as, how many people in the department that i would join.

I could ask the interviewer like this

"how many people in your department?"

in this scenario, is "learn about company" a appropriate way? such as

"I would like to learn about your department"