texts:
This often happens in sports but in everyday life as well.
Say, in a football match, player A accidentally makes player B of the opposite team fall lightly. That is a very small fault but B screams like crazy as if he hurts a lot. But actually, he is faking his hurt with a purpose of letting the referee book player A a red card or send A out.
In everyday life, you rush and by accident bump into a man, which causes a very small scratch on his leg. He then starts to scream loudly and asks you to pay a lot of money to him for that very small incident.
In everyday English, how to express the action that a person forces you compensate a lot for your very small bad effect on him?
Maybe, the man is tricking me into his exaggerated schema.


texts:
Be on a diet is hard.
  Being on a diet is hard.

I want to say that usually, for most people, doing a thing is very difficult. I want to say this is always true, a fact.

Which form do I have to use, be or being? And why?


texts:
Spying is what I do.

Is this sentence correct?

If someone asks me "What do you do?", can I reply with the above sentence?


texts: What is the opposite of the word 'optimum' for this context?

texts:
The use of the optimum formula of x compounds is relatively small.

What is the opposite of the word optimum? Is it non-optimum? Could inefficient be a choice?


texts: Usage of "widening/growing" as related to availability

texts:
Would widening / growing be sensible in this sentence to imply more people can afford to make movies?

The availability of movie production _______ as cameras are getting cheaper.


texts:
Which is of the following sentence is correct?

  If you sit here 10 minutes, I will tell the manager you have been here for an hour.

  If you will sit here 10 minutes, I will tell the manager you have been here for an hour.

I always thought that the first sentence was preferable/more correct, but a friend of mine told me both are fine. Is there any difference between the two sentences? For example, are they used in different contexts?


texts: Can the word "role" be used as a variant of "roll"?

texts:
I read this sentence in a book named "Kafka on the shore":

  "Ms. Soga," he begins, "when they called the role in school your name would have come before Ms. Tanaka, and after Ms. Sekine.

Now, after a bit of Googling I came to this conclusion that the word "roll" is the correct version as per the dictionaries. But still I wanted a confirmation as after having been through almost half of the book, I've not found a single error like it. So I think this is the right place to ask.


texts: "By night", "during night", "at day"… which propositions and articles should be used?

texts:
We travelled by night and rested by day.
We travelled during night and rested during day.
We travelled during the night and rested during the day.
We travelled at night and rested at day.

#1 is correct. It is from a dictionary. According to the Cambridge dictionary, 'by' means 'during'. Then, can we use #2? What about #3 and #4?


texts: "will … to apply for a visa” or “ will … and apply for a visa”?

texts:
Thank those who answered Original question, I learned a lot especially the small difference when in past tense.

However, is there any difference if I change them to future tense? (Because neither of below imply the final result)

Once he gets the passport, he will go to the Chinese consulate in Toronto and apply for a visa.
Once he gets the passport, he will go to the Chinese consulate in Toronto to apply for a visa.


texts: when to use "take me away from here" and "get me out of here"?

texts:
I need to know the main difference between these two "take me away from here"   and "get me out of here" and when to use them with suitable example.
Do they carry the same meaning or i have to use them on different situations


texts:
I seem to recall to have heard this form of making a request in an american series:

  Fill it up [referring to a drink], will you?

Is it grammatically and idiomatically correct? At first it sounded a bit awkward because I would usually phrase it this say:

  Will you fill it up?


texts: Is "any sort of an explanation" grammatical?

texts:
My gut tells me no, and it should be "any sort of explanation", but I just came across it in something Roger Ebert wrote.

  I suppose, after all, Nicolas Winding Refn, the director and co-writer of "Bronson," was wise to leave out any sort of an explanation.

Google apparently supports my gut feeling, with lopsided search results. But can anyone explain it?


texts:
Is the word "liberal" used properly in the following paragraph?

  My school is very liberal. In fact, some of the English teachers in my
  school gave a student an E for using Donald trump as an example to
  their essay.


texts: How to use possessive apostrophe(s) with plural acronyms and initialisms/abbviation?

texts:
I already know that we put possessive apostrophe at the end of the word if we want to show that more than one person owns some thing. Example: My brothers' car.

My question is, how should I use possessive apostrophe with acronyms and initialisms/abbviation when they are plural ?

Example sentence:

I have three CAs in my family. They all love imported cars. All our CAs' cars are black in color.

In the above sentence, "our CAs' cars are black in color", did I use the possessive apostrophe with the abbviation "CA" in the correct way?


texts: use "in" twice + correct preposition (and/or)

texts:
I have written down a set of similar sentences below.

(1) There are no lights in the storage room and in the living room.

(2) There are no lights in the storage room and the living room.

(3) There are no lights in the storage and living rooms.

(4) There are no lights in the storage room or in the living room.

(5) There are no lights in the storage room or the living room.

(6) There are no lights in the storage room or living room.

I have come up with different possible ways to express the same thing.

Please note that I am using "in/the" twice in both (1)&(4), only "the" twice in both (2)&(5), and "the" once in both (3)&(6). In addition, I am using "and" in the first three and "or" in the next three.

All my friends and I are non-native English speakers. My sentences sound OK to all of us.

Which ones are idiomatic to native speakers?


texts: "get a nice house" vs "will get a nice house"

texts:
In my grammar book there is the following example:

  It is not wise for you to go back home. You'll meet a nice boy here, you'll settle down, GET a nice flat and you'll get everything you want and deserve.

I don't understand why GET is in the Present Simple, and not in the Future Simple. English.Page.com says that Future Simple is also used in the following:

  Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future …

Can someone please explain why GET and not WILL GET was used?


texts: The shop has opened today vs the shop opened today

texts:
What is the difference between those:

The shop has opened today
The shop opened today
The shop has been opened today
The shop was opened today


texts: Usage of “just”: with the meaning of "barely". Could "just" mean someone almost "made it" but didn't ultimately?

texts:
Suppose that there was an test, each of the students were given a percentage, maybe 100, maybe 85, maybe 61, maybe 60, maybe 59, grade that is equal or greater than 60 would be marked as passed.

When Tom say:"I barely passed the test." I understand he got 60, or more.

When Tom say:"I just passed the test." Does that mean the same thing? If he said that sadly, is it reasonable to conclude that he got a grade less than 60?


texts: So, the sentence "I read book" is wrong, isn't it?

texts:
Found this information on the internet

  Uncount nouns

  You cannot say a/an with an uncount noun. You cannot put a number in
  front of an uncount noun. (You cannot make an uncount noun plural.)
  You use an uncount noun with no article if you mean that thing in
  general. You use the with an uncount noun when you are talking about a
  particular example of that thing.

  Count nouns

  You can put a number in front of a count noun. (You can make a count
  noun plural.) You can put both a/an and the in front of a count noun.
  You must put an article in front of a singular count noun. You use a
  plural count noun with no article if you mean all or any of that
  thing. You usually use a/an with a count noun the first time you say
  or write that noun. You use the with count nouns: the second and
  subsequent times you use the noun in a piece of speech or writing when
  the listener knows what you are referring to (maybe because there is
  only one of that thing) You use an (not a) when the next word (adverb,
  adjective, noun) starts with a vowel sound.

The guideline said "You use a plural count noun with no article if you mean all or any of that thing."

For example, "I read books" means I read all books or any book that I have, doesn't it?

The site didn't mention the rule of "using a single count noun with no article". That is where I confused.

So, it can deduce that "I read book" is grammatically wrong, right?


texts:
Although I know the rules of PC and PP usage, I want to ask if that combination of tenses is okay. Can I use PC and PP together here?

  You remember, I was writing an essay [1] on my computer and I have finished it [2].

[1] simply tells the person that I was doing something and it is just a fact while [2] emphasizes the fact that it has been finished (we don't know when, it could be finished a while ago etc). I believe I can say such sentence to somebody who saw me writing an essay and later I am telling them it is done.

Or maybe I should say it this way:

  You remember, I was writing an essay on my computer and I finished it.

What about this:

  I have finished the essay I have been writing.

  I have finished the essay I was writing.

Are the sentences okay?

Thank you in advance.


texts: Is it a correct expression ? and How to express it?

texts:
She has to be shot a tourist attraction video for Japanese tomorrow forenoon, starring her. (not herself, because someone shoots the video starring her.)
If I get rid of comma(,) in "video for Japanese, starring her", it comes to mean she is Japanese ?


texts: "Younger ... elder ..." vs "younger one ... elder one ..."

texts:
Should one write "younger one ... elder one ..." or it's not necessary to add the "one"?

Example sentence:

  I grew up with two sisters. One time, the younger (one) asked the elder (one) to borrow her a dress for her first date.


texts:
In my book there is the text:

He made his way back to where Dad and Kate were half-dozing in the heat. "I have to rest, Dad," he said. He flopped to the ground in a dirty, broken heap.
"I know," Dad said, "but first let Kate give you her ideas about the radio."
"The radio isn't working," Chad said. "It doesn't even switch on."
Kate roused. "The battery cables probably came loose in the crash. If the battery wasn't smashed, it should still work."
"But how do you know it isn't ruined?"
"We won't know until we can get some juice to it," she said.
"Anyway," Chad said, "we're almost three miles down in a valley. The antenna wire is stuck up in the trees."
"Really?" Kate said. "You saw it?"
He nodded.

Why is the author of this text using the article "a" before valley? This valley is where they had crashed and both the author and the reader know that; so, it should be "in the valley" with article "the" (as for the crash - "The battery cables probably became loose in the crash" see text above).
Please help explain this to me.


texts:
I have read the following sentence:

  We'll be disappointed if the weather isn't nice the day of our party.

Isn't "on" required here before "the day" ? I think this question also applies to the weekdays, eg:

  He'll come home Friday.


texts: Is using 'specially' correct in such cases?

texts:
I've heard both variants and now can't really tell if using 'specially' is ever correct in such cases:

You mustn't listen to loud music, especially at night.
You mustn't listen to loud music, specially at night.


texts: Which preposition would you use in this case?

texts:
I have two choices at work. Both are good for me, so I just need to ask if there's a preferable option for the company.
Should my question be:
"Is there any difference for the company" or "to the company"?
Thank you!


texts:
There is a really long sentence I came across and I can't seem to decipher the entirety of the sentence. Especially the bolded part. I can't seem to really get what it means by "relating illness."

  Because Western medicine takes more of a materialist approach, relating illness only to causes of disease and biological actions that can be measured or seen, the spiritual foundation of TCM makes skeptics doubt the validity of many traditional Chinese treatments, especially when these treatments include the use of substances like mercury or animal bones.

Thanks in  advance!


texts: Usage Too, As well and Also in negative sentences

texts:
I also/too don't understand why they're here

Is this sentence correct? My grammar book is saying that this sentence is wrong and we should use either in negative sentences. For example above sentence should be “I don’t understand why they are here either”.

But I feel like using too/also/as well is still fine in negative sentences.Are they wrong? How does the meaning of a sentence differ if we use them instead of “either”?


texts:
BBC English says

  Rather than means instead of and can be used in combination with would prefer to and would rather.

  My mother would prefer us to email each other once a week, rather than spend half an hour on the phone every night.

  My mother would rather we emailed each other once a week instead of spending half an hour on the phone every night.

Let see simpler example,

I would prefer him to stay at home rather than go out (1)=
I would prefer it if he stayed at home rather than go out (2)

I am not sure the (2) is ok but I am sure (2) can be said as "I would prefer it if he stayed at home instead of going out" (3)

Thing is trickier when saying them in the past

I would prefer him to have stayed at home yesterday rather than (have) gone out (4)=
I would prefer it if he had stayed at home yesterday rather than (have) gone out (5)

I think (4) is correct but not sure if (5) is correct. But I think (5) can be said as "I would prefer it if he had stayed at home yesterday instead of having gone out" (6)

I would rather they stayed at home than go out (7) (not sure 7 is correct)

but "I would rather they stayed at home instead of going out" seems correct

I would rather they had stayed at home yesterday than have gone out (8) (not sure 8 is correct)

How "would prefer" & "would rather" used in combination with "rather than" when refer to another person?

Important Note:

Cambridge Dictionary says:

  When we use rather than with a verb, we use the base form or (less
  commonly) the -ing form of a verb:

  Rather than pay the taxi fare, he walked home. (or Rather than paying
  the taxi fare, he walked home.)

So, I think it is wrong to say "He walked home rather than paid the taxi fare"

However, another source said this sentence is correct "Ed walked rather than ran."


texts:
She listens to her great-uncle’s footfalls across the ceiling, and his
  voice—310 1467 507 2222 576881—and then her grandfather’s song, “Clair
  de Lune,” strains over her like a blue mist.

From All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Does 'strain' here mean 'ooze'?


texts:
We got into a big fight. It happened in/during the lunch break, so everybody was there.
Question 1: In North America is "lunch break" the natural term for the break at work around noon where you eat?
Question 2: Is both "in" and "during" possible?


texts:
I saw on an article and the title was

  KAT GRAHAM TEASES MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH

So I don't understand, is she mocking about it because in my language if I translate it it says

  KAT SE BURLA DE LA MUERTE DE PERSONAJE

Or does it have another meaning that way?


texts: under significant provocation relating to timetable... I don't uderstand what that means

texts:
The very first paragraph from the acknowledgments section of a computer book:

  First, I would like to thank Jim Minatel, the acquisitions editor who put the platform in place to get Beginning Regular Expressions off the ground at Wrox/Wiley. His patience, under significant provocation relating to timetable, and his tact, efficiency, and general good nature made those organizational aspects of the book an enjoyable experience to repeat at a future date.

I don't understand what the author is trying to say.


texts: Can we omit "who is" in relative clauses? (noun + noun)

texts:
I went down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon the son of Ariston, that I might offer up my prayers to the goddess (Bendis, the Thracian Artemis.); and also because I wanted to see in what manner they would celebrate the festival, which was a new thing. - The Republic of Plato.

Glaucon is the son of Ariston, right? I suppose it should be Glaucon who is the son of Ariston. Can we omit that?


texts: Is there an order for two continuous adjectives?

texts:
Is there a rule for an order for two continuous adjectives? For example, If I want to say the warm house of the Scottish

  a) "Scottish warm house"

  b) "Warm Scottish house"

then is there one form that's better that the other? Or are there any difference between the above sentences?


texts: as such, on their own, per se, by themselves

texts:
Which phrase in bold would you suggest to use? I hope it is clear what I am trying to say, but I am not sure about the word choice. Or perhaps I should use a different construction?

Also, I hope that I use the construction "not only ... but also" correctly here.

We will study discrete particle systems. They are not only of great interest on their own, but also represent an important intermediate step toward analysis of continuous systems.
We will study discrete particle systems. They are not only of great interest as such, but also represent an important intermediate step toward analysis of continuous systems.
We will study discrete particle systems. They are not only of great interest per se, but also represent an important intermediate step toward analysis of continuous systems.
We will study discrete particle systems. They are not only of great interest by themselves, but also represent an important intermediate step toward analysis of continuous systems.


texts: The usage of word "with" at the beginning of sentence

texts:
I have seen many sentences starting with proposition "with", and I want to use this sentence structure in my writing but I have difficulty to understand the meaning of it when it is being used at the beginning of a sentence.

Example:
With its widespread reach and viral potential, it allows your business to connect with prospects in ways that no other marketing medium can.

Is the above word "with" same as such sentences "I went to the zoo with a friend" and "I had dinner with a glass of wine"


texts: "hadn't been working" vs "wasn't working" vs "didn't work" vs "wasn't worked"

texts:
Would you please explain the differences among these sentences?

  Ian hadn't been working at the factory long when he was made a
  manager.

  Ian wasn't working at the factory long when he was made a manager.

  Ian didn't work at the factory long when he was made a manager.

  Ian wasn't worked at the factory long when he was made a manager.


texts: What does "break it down" mean (slang) in Meghan Trainor's "I'm a Lady"?

texts:
I heard a song that said something about "breaking it down". I looked it up, and it was Meghan Trainor's "I'm A Lady". The lyric goes

  When I break it down, it's a work of art.

What does it mean in that context?


texts: What it may mean: "to sip pop in a pop top can"?

texts:
There's an Android game, "Sentence Master", which may be a fun for the language learners to play once in a while.  Of course, I'm not sure whether this game is a reliable app to further one's English with, but still, it's quite entertaining to be given a try.  To show what it's like, here's a picture:

Today, I stumbled across this sentence which to me looks like sort of phonetic exercise:

  "Ben can sip pop in a pop top can."

I understand that Bob may be sipping some liquid from a can, but what's a pop and what's a pop top can, and why "in" it?


texts: What's the difference between "we've been getting the ball rolling" and "we've got the ball rolling"

texts:
The only difference I see is that "we've been getting the ball rolling" means that it has happened for a continuous time in the past, and "we've got the ball rolling" mean that the ball has rolled, but for an unknown amount of time in the past and may still be rolling. Is that a fair assessment?

One problem is that it's an idiom, so I don't know if I can change the tense in any way I want.


texts:
Grammarly indicates that something may be wrong writing just to reduce. However, when replaced by to reducing is marked completely wrong.

By analyzing agricultural data and using software, I help this entity to reduce fuel consumption while keeping the number of passengers, thus reducing greenhouse gas’ emissions.


texts: How differentiate between -able and -ed adjectives?

texts:
I really need your help regarding this matter, In spite of all the hard work in finding a clear difference that makes me use -able over -ed, I couldn't find a definite rule.

For example, valued vs valuable, reputed vs reputable, desirable vs desired

is there such a simple way to differentiate and know which one to use?


texts: Field equipped for research purpose Vs Field use for research purposes

texts:
Professional astronomers,
unlike their amateur counterparts, have no particular interest in the aesthetic quality
of their photographs. What matters to them is the contribution their images can make to research,
and to the use/collection of data scientists in their field equipped/use for research purposes.

Can anyone guide me on what should be the correct answer and why?
My approach
For 1st I think as per context research can be used for data scientist hence use make sense to me
For 2nd equipped means provide/supply/provision hence I think since the research papers are provided for research paper hence equipped make sense.


texts:
What is the difference between "did you" and "do you" in the following two sentences:

Did you want to schedule a meeting?
Do you want to schedule a meeting?

I can't understand this usage for "do you" and "did you" which seems to be very common. Clarification is appreciated!


texts: "with" or "against"? -- "Alexander fought ____ every kind of aggression."

texts:
Alexander fought with/against every kind of aggression.

Are both with and against in the above sentence correct?


texts: Comparative form - which one is correct?

texts:
Which of the following comparative forms is correct?

  It is much cheaper to train doctors, teachers, police and other vital
  public service workers than it is to train astronauts or the
  scientists and engineers who work on space exploration projects.
  It is much cheaper to train doctors, teachers, police and other vital
  public service workers than to train astronauts or the scientists and
  engineers who work on space exploration projects.


texts:
I heard in a movie description this line:

  Eddie trips (trapes? trapeses?) a dimly lit alley off of the red car route.

What does trip an alley mean? I can't find a definition of trip that fits this sentence. Or did I hear it wrong? I am putting the audio clip here (uploaded to an audio sharing site Clyp) for reference.


texts: Is "would" possible in the first conditional?

texts:
"If I give you money, would you go and get me some fruit?" (Seinfeld)

As I know would is not used in either zero or first conditionals. I would not have noticed that if it'd been will. Can you justify would in here, or it is just the spoken English?


texts:
"Yes, I do!" turns out to be the most popular words for people in love all around the world, most of whom do not know a word of English language.

I think the original question for this emotional confirmative answer should have been "Will you marry me?" But grammatically, it is not the case, right? Is it "Do you love me?" or "Will you marry me, do you think?" or "Will you marry me, do me a favour"?


texts: The lot is cast into the lap - Lot equals dice?

texts:
When I first read the Bible's Proberbs 16:33

  The lot is cast into the lap,

  but its every decision is from the LORD.

I didn't understand the meaning of "The lot is cast into the lap", thus I checked this article

  Proverbs 16:33 (CEB) The dice are cast into the lap; all decisions are from the LORD.

So I understand the meaning of "The lot is cast into the lap" is like rolling a dice. So the word "lot" should equal "dice2. But I couldn't find "lot" equals "dice" in the dictionary. The closest meaning I can find is the synonym  of "lot" is "destiny" (according to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 8). But "destiny" combines with "is cast into the lap" feels weird, doesn't it?

So I want to ask, why they use the word "lot" instead of "dice" in this case, does "lot" equals "dice"?


texts: difference between "better" and "all the better"?

texts:
Tell me please what the difference between the following sentences.

  You do your job well, but if you do it my way, it would be better.

  You do your job well, but if you do it my way, it would be all the better.


texts: What do you call the white cloth fabric used on tables and curtains?

texts: Is there a single word for it? I am trying to think of a word that includes both, but aside cloth I can't think of any. There has to be a more specific word for cloth used for non-clothing stuffs like curtains and tabletop.


texts: Difference between 'get to know' and 'got to know'

texts:
I just checked with your team and get to know that you are on other call.

Is using get to know right here?


texts: What is the meaning of "gate" in this context?

texts:
I have found it in an article. Since it may be related to politics, instead of providing with an actual quote of context, let me re-phrase it with my own words:

John Smith, a famous politician, has been caught on a certain kind of public offense. This person has committed similar offenses in the past.
The article is titled, "A new Smithgate".

What is the meaning of gate here?


texts:
St.Quentin said rather vaguely : "How annoying for you!"  He had screwed round his head inside the folds of his scarf, to consider Anna with abstract attentiveness. For she had this little way of travestying herself and herself-pities, till the view she took of herself, when she was with him, seemed to concert exactly with the view he took of her sex.

These are sentences from "the Death of the Heart" by Elizabeth Bowen

Before the sentences, St.Quentin and Anna are talking about Anna's sister-in-law. (Anna and St. Quentin are friends.) Anna complains about her sister-in-low, then above sentence come.

I want to know the meaning of abstract attentiveness.


texts: "The coast can expect thunderstorms". What does "expect" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I read a sentence in my textbook: "The coast can expect thunderstorms"

Does the word 'expect' mean we 'hope' something happens in that case ?


texts:
For example:

A reporter is reporting live at the scene where a bear is seemingly stuck in a tree.

As you know, a reporter is with the bear/that bear. Why use "a"?


texts:
I was discussing this with a friend but couldn’t find an answer online. Which one is correct? (I’m guessing both)

Give me my keys back!

or

Give me back my keys!


texts: In instructional videos I see on the internet, the teacher says "in the U.S and Canada, they automatically use police as plural noun", if it is already plural, then what's the singular of police?


texts: Should involve.. usage of the word involve

texts:
Is this grammatically correct?:

  I strongly agree that children should involve in group activities

I'm not sure if this option is better and more accurate:

  I strongly agree that children should be more involved in group activities

or

  I strongly agree that children should involve themselves in group activities


texts: Who vs. Whom - Is there a faster way to identify which one to use besides the he/him method?

texts:
Use this he/him method to decide whether who or whom is correct:

  he = who
      him = whom

  Examples:
      Who/Whom wrote the letter?
      He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct.

  Who/Whom should I vote for?
      Should I vote for him? Therefore, whom is correct.

I understand the rule and can apply it, but I'm not efficient in applying it time-wise. This clearly shows in speech with a live person or a group.

For example, in speech I want to say:

  The doctor whom you recommended is not available for three months.

But it goes something like this:

  Speak: The doctor ...
      start of the 10 second pause
      Mental step 1: "he you recommended"
      Mental step 2: "you recommended he"
      Mental step 3: "you recommended him"
      Mental step 4: him = whom
      end of the 10 second pause
      Speak: ... whom you recommended is not available for three months.

It's really awkward. Is there a faster way to identify whether to use who or whom?


texts: "It should have killed me, but I hadn't died" - is this sentence correct?

texts: If it's correct, why the Past Perfect tense has been used here instead of Past Simple?


texts: sentence meaning, who performs the action

texts:
He threatens the kid to finish the work.

Who is performing the action "finish the work",

He or the kid.


texts: "I will attend the party" or "I would attend the party"

texts:
I'm confused between "will" and "would"

  I will/would attend the party.

Which is the correct one?


texts: Which preposition is correct "in" or "to"?

texts:
Could you tell me what preposition "in" or "to" should I use in the sentence below?

I am passionate about making a positive difference in/to the lives of the
children I visit.


texts: I woke up panicked/panicking, because I'd had a nightmare

texts:
Which of the two participial adjectives works here?

I woke up panicked, because I'd had a nightmare.
I woke up panicking, because I'd had a nightmare.

If you have a nightmare, you start to panick before you wake up, so I guess the present form doesn't work; it suggests that panicking took place during my waking up.
But the past form doesn't ring right to me either. Why? I don't know. Maybe because not all past participles can be used as adjectives.

One would suggest other options, like I panicked and woke up because ..., but I'm interested to know if anything's wrong with the title sentence, especially the past participle, as I came across it in a book today (used in a sentence just like the title).


texts: Is “He was eating.” a complete sentence to a question?

texts: Is “He was eating.” a complete sentence to the question “What is Stacey eating?”


texts:
Our embassy in Paris employs/uses around twenty full-time staff.

Would anybody tell me which one and why?


texts: Does "by the time" require the Future Perfect tense?

texts:
I've come across this:

Sometimes, you can use the future perfect tense and the simple future
tense interchangeably. In these two sentences, there is no real
difference in meaning because the word before makes the sequence of
events clear:
Linda will leave before you get there. Linda will have left before you
get there.
But without prepositions such as before or by the time that make
the sequence of events clear, you need to use the future perfect to
show what happened first.

That means:
"Mary will leave by the time you get there." is equal to "Mary will have left by the time you get there."
So, is the source correct?


texts: At this time should I use plural or singular verb?

texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

"Each of our products are guaranteed"

I'm assuming it's correct since the phrase "each of them" is plural


texts: Help understanding when to use an infinitive in this excercise

texts:
I was taking an English test and I haven't know which sentence is wrong. could you help me out?

a) The telephone is ringing. I will go to answer it.
b) I feel like going dancing tonight. Would you like to join me?

I don't know if in letter "a" I should say: ...I will go answer it, rather than I will go to answer it; or
In letter "b": I feel like going to dance, rather than I feel like going dancing tonight.


texts: How do I say "Nowadays (in the previous year)"?

texts:
I need a way of saying "These days" / "Nowadays", but referring to the previous year.

Because what I've come up with seems very unnatural and broken to me.

These days last year, I had no clue what would happen in a year's time.
Last year nowadays, .... (This one sounds awful to me, honestly)

For clarity: I want to be able to say "Around these months/dates of the previous year" without the definitive words like "month" or "date", but with vague words like "these days" or "nowadays".


texts: "an iconic species of (?) toothed whale" -- an omission of the article

texts:
Example with a context (Rare deep-sea encounter with sperm whale videotaped off Louisiana):

  The footage reveals the curious nature of an iconic species of toothed whale that is known to dive deeply into the abyss in search of its favorite prey, the giant squid.

Don't we need an article before the expression "toothed whale"?

If not, could you please explain why an article is not needed? And is this a grammar pattern that I can just stick any noun in and use?

For another example, there is:

  The species of Bengali tiger is in danger of becoming extinct.


texts: Why doesn't "Kinda good" work as an attributive adjective?

texts:
The movie is kinda good. (Predicative - Sounds okay)

It is a kinda good movie. (Attributive - Sounds kinda wrong?)

Why is this so?
There were very few results for "is a kinda good movie" compared to "movie is kinda good". I guessed this was an example of predicative-only adjective like it is mentioned here.


texts: Is come can be used only when you're in the place that you talking about

texts:
I heard that come can be used only if speaker is in the place he's talking about.

But there are a song "Mama I'm coming home". And it seems like the speaker is not at his home at that moment.

Is this line incorrect or there is an exception from the rule?


texts:
I want to express that I would like to write a book before I turn 40.

I want to know which among the below listed is best way to express this thought and which among them are grammatically incorrect.

  I would like to write a book before I turn 40.

  I want to write a book before I turn 40.

  I want to have written a book before I turn 40.


texts: I knew I have never been your enemy or I knew I had never been your enemy?

texts:
I always struggle with "I knew" sentences, because I'm completely incapable of understanding what tense should follow it. For example

  I knew I have never been your enemy.

or

  I knew I had never been your enemy.

In a situation where I'm still not this person's enemy, which tense should I use? Present perfect or past perfect?


texts: what is difference between "sorry", "excuse me" and "pardon me"?

texts:
What is the difference between these three words and when to use them. I mean when and in which condition should I use these words.
For example

Sorry, does this train go to city?
Excuse me, does this train go to city?
pardon me, does this train go to city?


texts:
Which of the following is more natural for a customer to use at a coffee shop?

  a. Do you offer free refills on coffee?

  b. Is your coffee bottomless?


texts:
I have this sentence :

  Today's lecture will spark a lot of discussion, and I just want to let you know that I welcome it, so please feel free to jump in.

I have three questions:

Where is the subject of the verb "feel"?
If there is no subject, then it must be "felt", right?
What does "jump in" mean?


texts: Is "Our electricity rates have been raised at about 20 percent a year." grammatically inccorect?

texts:
I have been learning English and I got confused about the use of rise/raise.
In the chapter dealing with the difference between rise and raise, it says "Our electricity rates have been rising at about 20 percent a year." is the answer for the question which I have to pick correct form of rise or raise.
Here is the question.
Our electricity rates have been _____ at about 20 percent a year
I know "have been raised" is the passive and "have been rising" is the present perfect progressive, and there is a difference in the meaning. i wonder if "have been raised" can be used in that sentence.


texts: "First time at X place" or "first time in X place"?

texts:
What's the correct construction? And why?

Example sentence:

  "This was my first time at Oxford University"

  "This was my first time in Oxford University"


texts: data, a data, game data, or your data for game localization?

texts:
I'm learning English and localizing some sentences for a game.
I have done it just in case but I'm not sure I should use "data", "game data", "a data", or "your game data", etc...
How can I write them?

(It will be used for the page to restore and save game data)

  **Data Restore**
  If you have unsaved data of the game in progress, it will be updated.
  Are you sure?

  **Data Transfer**
  If you save your game data you can continue playing by restoring game data when you reinstall the game or getting a new phone.

  **Save Data**
  You can save 1 data. If you have already saved data before, it will be updated.
  Are you sure?


texts:
I found this phrase on a Mobil app,And I did not understand why it wrote "by me" and not "for me"

  She: I will check if there is one available.
  Me: if not,the aile seat is fine by me.


texts:
"I haven't been like this in a long time"

What does it mean if a person says this?Has he never been like "that" in his life?Or has he been like "that" a lot before in his life but isn't now?


texts:
Which of these sentences are correct?

  I have stayed in your prestigious hotel from 11th-may-2015 to 18th may 2015.

  I had been stayed in your prestigious hotel from 11th-may-2015 to 18th may 2015.


texts: "express congratulation to someone for" VS "express congratulation to someone on"

texts:
He expressed congratulation to you for your election as president of America.
  He expressed congratulation to you on your election as president of America.

Which preposition is good?


texts: Why is it "citing" and not "was citing"? And why is it "called" and not "was calling"?

texts:
The clash erupted in public on Tuesday after the United States government, citing national security concerns, called for a full investigation into a hostile bid to buy the American chip stalwart Qualcomm.

why is "citing" but not "was citing"? and why is "called" but not "was calling" in the above sentence?


texts:
I have a sentence and am trying to convert it into a question form.

The sentence goes like this:

  Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th President of the United States.

Can  anybody please convert it into a question form?


texts: Why is "I'll be", wrong as a short answer?

texts:
I was writing a text in English to an Italian girl friend of mine whose English is very good. In the text, I asked:

  Will you be coming to the staff party on Thursday?

and she replied

  Yes, I'll be

I couldn't shrug and ignore it, I had to say something, so I texted back

  You should've written: I'll be there :)

But she explained

  Given that your question was: "Will you be coming...?" I thought that answering "I'll be" would be correct.

What do I tell her?!?

If the original question had been "Are you coming on Thursday?" or "Can you come on Thursday?" the answers:

  (Yes,) I am
  Yes, I can

would have been OK.

What's the grammatical explanation, or rule, that says I'll be (or I will be) is wrong when a question begins with the auxiliary will?


texts: "The team had comes" versus "the team had come"

texts:
Which among the following sentence is correct?

  The team had comes up with a database table design through with the rules and its definitions can be stored.

  The team had come up with a database table design through with the rules and its definitions can be stored.

From my perspective, the first sentence is correct as "the team" is singular. Please correct me if I'm wrong.


texts: What does the phrase "to be admired" mean here?

texts:
Tell me please what to be means there. Why did not the speaker just say and that is admired?

  Wonder Woman has flaws.… It succeeds in spite of them, and that is to be admired, but we cannot start viewing this as the epitome of the female superhero motion picture.


texts: Reference Time and Event Time in the Pr. Progressive tense

texts:
I've read the tense wiki summary and I would like to understand how it works on practice. Consider the Present Progressive Tense construction, denoting fixed arrangements:

  I'm getting a new job the next month.

We're talking about the future, such that ST<RT=ET. So why we use Pr.Prog instead of Future tense with something aspect?


texts: What are the role of titles before names in English?

texts:
For example:

  Mr. Chan

  Chef Akbar

  President Obama

  Doctor Tom

My question is what are these titles, that is Mr, chef, president and doctor, called in English during parsing? Are they an adjective or a determiner?


texts: Run it under water, hold it under water, run water over it

texts:
The following sentences are about rinsing something under running water, be it a whisk (or any utensil for that matter) or a scald, wound/cut.

Just run it under water.

Just hold it under water.

Just run water over it.

Do all of the above sentences sound equally likely?


texts: “A person who sells the toys in the street”

texts:
She often makes her children sleep for fear that  ___ should come into the street again.

That person sells toys such as balloon, doll, ball, bicycle, train, etc... traveling (especially along the street).
As you know, by seeing the toy seller in the street, our kids weep and insist on buying therefore we caring mother or father fear and make them sleep because we have no money to get them the toys.


texts: what does relative clause in the sentence refer to?

texts:
Stopbank acts as a flood barrier to stop river water from flooding homes. The stopbank is a small mound of land next to the river that is higher than the 100-year flood level.

What does that is in the passage refer to?
river or stopank?


texts: Which adjective does 'pills', 'powder' and 'liquid' belong to?

texts: My native language is Spanish and today I was wondering how do you say 'presentación' referring to the type of presentation the medicine come from. For example, if you go to the drug store to buy a medicine you can ask if you have it in injectable form or in pills. How can you ask in which presentations the medicine came from? It is ok to say 'presentation' as a literal translation from the Spanish or it have a different word to refer to it?


texts: What is the difference between "his participating" and "his participation"?

texts:
I don't  understand the difference between each of the following pairs.

Example 1

A: My boss encourages his participating in conferences.
B: My boss encourages his participation in conferences.

Example 2

C: He is used to eat rice.
D: He is used to eating rice.


texts: Which sentence uses the semicolon correctly?

texts:
I am writing the first paragraph(introduction) of an essay. I want to write my thesis statement as follows:
I believe that preserving historical places has greater advantages than constructing new buildings because historical buildings teach people about history that happened in the distant past, and as historical monuments attract tourists, preserving historical landmarks is helpful to stimulate the economy.
The problem is this sentence is too long, so I want to divide this sentence using semicolon(;). Which one is correct, 1 or 2? (the difference is whether "for the following reasons" exists or not)

I believe that preserving historical places has greater advantages than constructing new buildings for the following reasons; firstly, historical buildings teach people about history that happened in the distant past, and further more, as historical monuments attract tourists, preserving historical landmarks is helpful to stimulate the economy.

I believe that preserving historical places has greater advantages than constructing new buildings;  firstly, historical buildings teach people about history that happened in the distant past, and further more, as historical monuments attract tourists, preserving historical landmarks is helpful to stimulate the economy.


texts:
Man has no more right to say an uncivil thing than to act one

According to me the meaning of this phrase is:

  Man has equal right to say an uncivil thing and to act an uncivil thing.

Am I right?


texts:
The brown bears found on / in/ at
  Kodiak Island are the largest in the world.

Here's the prepositions that I will always get mixed up.

on
It is more likely to emphasize that  bear was found on the Island not a land. So, the author might talk about how bear can be found 'on a island' or something about island

at
Using 'at' in this context is not suitable because island is big enough to have to use 'in', rather than 'at'. Like in the country, In NY not like at the ticket box.

in
It is more likely to emphasize the location, Kodiak, So it is more likely that the author talk about Kodiak itself, rather than how bear can be found on a island.

This is all I can think of, but I'm not sure I'm right. So, could you help me fully understand it?


texts:
If someone has been co-opted into a group, is he or she necessarily a member of it?

Recently, I came across the following usage description:

  co-opt
  2. verb
  If someone is co-opted into a group, they are asked by that group to become a member, rather than joining or being elected in the normal way.

  E.g. He was co-opted into the Labour Government of 1964.

(Collins Cobuild Dictionary)

This description does not allow us to infer the person in question was a member of the Labour Government of 1964. Plugging the definition into the above example would derive the following paraphrase:

  He was asked to become a member of the Labour Government of 1964.

However, the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines "co-opt" as follows:

  1 co-opt somebody (onto/into something)
  to make sb a member of a group, committee, etc. by the agreement of all the other members

On the other hand, this definition would mandate the inference that the person was a member.

Which is correct? I've asked the question on another form; however, a user there appears to be incapable of noting the differences.


texts: "we have to decide what point will be the next" is it correct or not?

texts:
Are the following sentences correct?

I have some confusion with them because of the mismatched tenses. I am just  confused a little bit about the uses of different tenses in the same sentence.

  We have to decide what point will be the next.

  If he sends my package to me, that will really make me happy.


texts: Can 'for' additionally mean 'so that' in some contexts?

texts:
I stumbled upon a phrase along the lines of:

the results are general enough for all participants will be able to reason about them

Is the phrase correct? I'm pretty sure it should be correct (reputable source), but I don't understand its structure; does 'for' here have its standard meaning + something like a 'so that' meaning?
Or otherwise how should I grammatically/syntactically interpret the phrase?


texts: Why did the translator of Kafka's book "metamorphosis" choose past simple in the beginning of "the metamorphosis"?

texts:
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. He was lying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his dome-like brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly before his eyes.

Franz Kafka "the metamorphosis"

Why not "waving", he is now an insect so a change has been made so I think past continuous could fit here or is it to make the reader understand that now he is insect and as an  insect, from now on, he  always waves its legs or last reason for progressive use   is that it has already been used for lie"he is lying" so there is no use to repeat it (I don't think this one is a good reason to explain the use of past continuous)


texts: Can "I was going to leave yesterday" and other examples have different meanings?

texts:
Everyone, can these sentences have different meanings?

  I was going to leave yesterday.

  It means I just decided to leave, no idea at what time.
  It means " leave" was planned to happen yesterday.

  I was leaving yesterday.

  Can this one have different meanings?
  If not, why? The time of "leaving" is clear?

  I would leave yesterday.

  Can this one have different meanings?
  The time of "leaving" is clear?

  I was about/due to leave yesterday.

  Can this one have different meanings?
  The time of "leave" is clear?


texts: Why is, "If I don't use the microphone, nobody will hear me," not considered a double negative

texts:
I understand that you can't have a double negative...but also, 'anyone/anybody' in this sentence wouldn't make sense:

If I don't use the microphone, nobody will hear me

So why is this not considered a double negative? What is the logic here? Is it related to the IF clause?


texts: Is "all" used as an adverb to modify the following adjective?

texts:
...But, as all cat lovers know, sometimes our otherwise friendly felines will bite us when we're trying to pet them, which makes no sense at all.
  Why get all bitey with the human who loves them, feeds them, and passive-aggressively scoops their litter box? ...

does the word "all" mean "very"?

like this:

  LONGMAN Dictionary:

  SPOKEN PHRASES

  14 very

  You’re getting me all confused.

here is a sentence I made:

  Why did you get all angry with your parents who love you.

is it correct?


texts: Any difference btw 'Aren't/Don't they/we/you ...' and 'Are/Do they/we/you not ...'

texts:
As in title,

  Don't they know it?
  Do they not know it?

Are these sentence the same? or the second sentence is plain wrong?

Is there any case where they are different?


texts: Correct preposition when saying "Carrots grow ..."

texts:
I was writing something and realised I don't know where carrots grow. Do they grow under the ground, or on the ground, or in the ground? Or something else entirely?

Furthermore, someone told me I should use land instead of ground. Would that be the case?

In short, how do I correct the following sentence:

  The carrots grow in the ground.


texts: Using present simple when talking about a past event in spoken English

texts:
Philip：So, you're an exchange student. Where do you go to school?

  Alexandra：At the Bronx High School of Science.

  Philip：Oh, that's a very good school. What are your favorite subjects?

  Alexandra：Biology and mathematics. Richard tells me you're a doctor.

  Philip：Yes, a pediatrician.

Richard has told Alexandra that Philip is a doctor before this dialogue happens. I would say Richard has told me you're a doctor instead of tells me.

Is it all right to use present simple here? Why?


texts:
Here's a context.

A month ago, I met a friend of mine and we talked about him going to America next year. And I met him again yesterday, but I don't remember what exactly we talked about. So, at that time, I said like this:

  I vaguely remember you saying that you are thinking of going to America next year, right?
  I vaguely remember you saying that you were thinking of going to America next year, right?
  I vaguely remember you said that you were thinking of going to America next year, right?
  I vaguely remember you said something about you going to America next year, right?
  I vaguely remember you saying something about you going to America next year, right?

.#1 - has to be were

And the others have difference in vagueness, but all are possible and common to use right?

PS. remember and recall is interchangeable without changing any nuance?


texts:
Which one is more grammatical than other sentences?
Which one sounds better than others?

  1.— Because of what do you do it?
  2.— Of what do you do it because?
  3.— What do you do it because of?


texts: "Listen for" to mean "left with a feeling"

texts:
The other day I was given an answer:

  In your sentence I would use give, give does mean a present, a gift

    I was going to give you another book

  Here is a warning: I am listening for the 'but' at the end of that because of the 'was'.

    I was going to give you another book, but Judy said your reading pile is already a year long

The sentence with "listen for" struck me as odd. It sounds as if the person is listening for the "but" right now. I'd at least say:

  The sentence left me listening for the "but".

Or rather:

  The sentence left me with the feeling that there must be some sort of continuation. That it was cut off in the middle. So here's the—one might say—full version:

I'm not saying that the original sentence is incorrect. I'm trying to understand why it's okay to put the idea that way. Can you explain?


texts: Do I use "makes" or "make" in this sentence?

texts:
Plastic bags are bad for the environment because making plastic bags and burning them make a lot of CO2.

  Plastic bags are bad for the environment because making plastic bags and burning them makes a lot of CO2.

There are two verbs joined with "and" so maybe "make" is correct, but I think "makes" sounds more natural. Can someone please help me here?


texts: "Adjective Complements" in major English grammar books?

texts:
Are there any major English grammar books (like CGEL, PEU, etc.) that list "adjective complements" as one of main constituents of a predicate (or a sentence pattern)?
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Adjective-Complements.htm

An adjective complement (also called an adjective phrase complement)
is a phrase or clause that provides information necessary to complete
an adjective phrase’s meaning. They are most often used with
predicative adjectives (adjectives that follow linking verbs to
describe the subject of the clause.

Examples:

They seem a little concerned about the direction we’re taking.”
(About the direction we’re taking is the complement of the adjective
concerned.)

“She is skilled at archery.” (At archery is the complement of the
adjective skilled.)

“The bosses are pleased with your progress.” (With your progress is
the complement of the adjective pleased.)

“I’m very happy to know you!” (To know you is the complement of the
adjective happy.)

“We’re just glad to be of service.” (To be of service is the
complement of the adjective glad.)


texts: The use of "touch" and "touch on" in context

texts:
This issue touches (on) personal beliefs, and beliefs always trumps facts.

In this video at 2 minute and 16 second, a speaker used the version with on. But what if I omit the preposition, will it be correct in the context? If not, then why?


texts: Fourteen dozen costs / fourteen dozens cost / fourteen dozen cost

texts:
At present rate of exchange, _______  2$

Which among the three options is correct to fill in the above blank ?

  fourteen dozen costs.
  fourteen dozens cost.
  fourteen dozen cost.

I guess we use singular nouns after cardinal numbers so fourteen dozen  should be the correct choice but then will verb agree with fourteen or with dozen i.e. will it be plural (cost) or singular (costs)?


texts:
Are there sentences correct grammatically please? (I don't think so!)

They think that the way things are need to be changed.
Why do you think it strange?

I think they should be:
They think that the way things are, need to be changed.  (a comma)
Why do you think it is strange? (a verb)


texts: Identifying objects in a sentence with infinitive phrase

texts:
To help others is important.

In this sentence, 'To help' is the infinitive (being used as noun subject) and 'is' is the verb. What is the object ? 'Others' ? And is 'To help others' an infinitive phrase ? Since 'others' is explaining 'To help who ?'.

  I really need to eat something.

In this sentence, 'I' is the noun subject, 'really'is an adverb describing the verb 'need' and 'to eat'is the adverb describing the verb ? Or is it the noun object ? I am confused here.

  Joel wants a book to read.

'Joel' is the subject. 'Wants'is the verb. 'A book'is the object and 'to read' is the adjective describing 'book' ?

https://englishsentences.com/infinitive/ states 'book'as the subject. Am I missing something here ?

  Joel wants a book to read.

  In this sentence, the verb is “wants” and the subject is the noun    “book.”
  We also see the infinitive “to read.” What is the purpose of “to    read” in this sentence?
  It describes the book; Joel isn’t looking for just any book, he’s    looking for a book to read.
  In this sentence, the infinitive functions as an adjective

I would like to know if got all the parts of the sentences correct.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Should "have cooked" in the sentence "he could have cooked dinner" be understood as past tense?

texts:
Consider the following two sentences:

He can have cooked dinner (present)
He could have cooked dinner (past)

I've been trying to understand how the "have cooked" part should be understood.

Is it in past tense relative to the "can" (present) and "could" (past), i.e. goes before/predates those times, or is it always relative to the present?


texts:
Subjunctive mood can be made by ''were'' and ''be''

E.g

a)İt is important that they be aware of the provisions of the act.

b)Sally wishes she were taller.

İs it possible to make sentence b in this way;

Sally wishes she be taller(as in sentence a) ?

if yes, İs there any difference in meaning between (Sally wishes she be

taller) and (Sally wishes she were taller)

?


texts: Meaning of "power granted to the commander-in-chief ... also be a troubling one"?

texts:
Trump's authority crisis deepens

  But the idea that there is a core of "adults in the room," as
  described by the op-ed writer, subverting the President’s authority
  and wielding for themselves the power granted to the commander-in-chief during an election season should also be a troubling one, since it raises questions about the integrity of
  America’s democratic system itself.

  power granted to the commander-in-chief

"commander-in-chief" here means Trump, right?

The power granted to Trump "during an election season"? Wasn't it granted to Trump after he took the office? I think "power granted to the commander-in-chief during an election season" is not one sentence, split it to "power granted to the commander-in-chief" and "during an election season".

  be a troubling one

trouble for who?


texts: she kicked me right in the teeth. Is there a pun in this phrase?

texts:
dialogue of an NPC in the game.

  I ran forward into the crowd, yelling for them to stop, but… I… I tripped and fell in the mud. I looked up and saw the face of a kindly grandmother. I reached for her hand and…she kicked me right in the teeth.

players reaction options.

  1.That's horrible
    2.You got beat up by an old woman?

if you choose 2, response is:

  You may think this is funny now, but it was devastating at the time.

picture comes from a PC game.

Is there a pun here? (the idiom "a kick in the teeth")

Or simply mean a real kick in the face?


texts:
Throughout Mum's pregnancy, which had been textbook, he had noted Mum's smaller belly, and had suspected something wasn't quite right. But without all the whiz-bang technology we have today— ultrasounds, amniocentesis, DNA testing— his concerns would remain nothing more than a hunch.

Source: My Life In Short
Why has the writer opted for would remain and not remained?
What's the difference in meaning, if any?


texts:
I know the basic rule that we use haven't to speak about something that started in the past and is still on-going in the present. We use didn't to speak something that was in the past.

But with time periods is didn't also possible and correct? Are they different?

I haven't seen him for five years.
I didn't see him for five years.

And:

I haven't played since two days ago.
I didn't play since two days ago.


texts: correct preposition to use with 'support' in this sentence?

texts:
What will be correct preposition to use in this sentence with 'Support'

  Provided technical consultancy and product support to Citibank for/ on
  banking system


texts:
How to describe myself laughing heartily (at anything funny/hilarious, not offensive one), need a while stopping it, with my body bending forward a little bit(or more)?

This is my trying: "I'm laughing like a shrimp."(The shape alike)

Am I saying this the right way? If you know a better one please let me know!


texts:
Longer life spans mean more people, worsening food and housing supply difficulties.

Can I change the sentence above to the sentence below?

  Longer life spans mean more people, and worsen food and housing supply difficulties.


texts:
"I've got long, straight, black hair."

or

  "I've got long straight black hair."

Are there any differences when I put commas? Do these sentences mean the same or is there any difference in meaning?

Which sentence is correct or maybe both are correct? What is most frequently used?


texts:
When using each combined with or , which is correct:

Each individual or group is happy.
Each individual or group are happy.
Each individual or group is filled with laughter.
Each individual or group are filled with laughter.


texts: 'Past Participle Verb Form' vs 'Past Participle Adjective'?

texts:
This room [is cleaned] every day.
  The window [is broken].

In the first sentence, we have a 'Past Participle (Verb)'.
In the second sentence, we have a 'Past Participle Adjective'.

More examples:

  He has broken his glass. <-- 'Broken' as a 'Past Participle' (Verb)
  A broken glass. <-- 'Broken' as an 'Adjective'

I've got two questions:

Are there rules for distinguishing 'P.P. adjectives' from 'P.P. verbs' for all sentences?
Can all 'P.P. verbs' be used as 'P.P. adjectives'? (For example: The word 'cleaned' as an adjective)


texts: What does “saving throw” mean as the title of this Dragon Ball Z episode?

texts:
There's an episode of Dragon Ball Z titled Saving Throw, which is described like this on Wikia:

  Vegeta lies unconscious after his battle with Cell, and Trunks unleashes his hidden powers to save his father's life. With Goku and Gohan still training, Trunks is the only person standing in the evil android's way.

It doesn't seem to have anything to do with throwing.  What does "saving throw" mean here?  I guess “throw” here doesn't mean tossing something.


texts: If we are refering to advice on how to do something or archive something, a short message like in software when you hover your mouse over an item, is there a difference between a tip and a hint?


texts: difference between "has been too lonely" and "is too lonely"

texts:
I read lyrics of Some Say Love/The Rose and then a question came up in my mind which is little bit unclear for me.

What is the exact differences between

  When the night, has been too lonely,...

and

  When the night, is too lonely,...

Like again I have an idea about what the difference might be but I would glad to hear an explanation from a native.

The section of the lyrics where this appears is:

When the night, has been too lonely,
And the road, has been too long.
And you feel, that love is only,
for the lucky, and the strong.


texts:
"...they are of little interest to scholars of Sufi texts, such as W.C or A.S, who are, as far as we can tell, still in the majority."

1) In this sentence I have difficulty in understanding the term "still in the majority"

2) Would this stand for an idiom with a specific attribution?


texts: Which is correct? At both events (object) / at both of the events (Object)

texts:
At both events (object) / at both of the events (Object)
Is it ok to use at both of the events in a sentence as object?


texts:
Almost all my friends  say "I will be coming tomorrow" to refer that they are coming tomorrow. Why don't they say "I will come tomorrow"?

(Note that they are not saying like "will be coming tomorrow when you watch football". They do not prefer any time or situations, simply "I will be coming/calling".)

I know that "will come" is simple future and "will be coming" is future continuous.


texts: I recently bought a book from an online site. Some papers were “broken”. I want to send feedback to the online retailer. How can I say it correctly: “tampered” or “broken” or “teared”? Please help me to create a feedback mail.


texts: What's the difference in meaning between "I don't see a way" and "there is no way"?

texts:
What does it means? Is there a difference? What is the sentence meaning?

The thing is, it never gets easier between us and it all keeps starting again and I don't see a way to do this.

Vs.

The thing is, it never gets easier between us and it all keeps starting again and there is no way to do this.


texts:
scenario:

A software has a foo function. This function works well. But Someone just mis-think foo function should work in another way. So can we say:

  Foo function works well. It's just not what you think how it should
  work.

Is that sentence correct?


texts: What does 'Be gone' mean in this expression

texts:
What does Be gone mean ?

A) I don't like happiness.
B) Be gone then

I think it means Go die. Am I right?


texts: with 'the' or not: 'in areas of' VS 'in the areas of'

texts:
This will require new frameworks for global cooperation in areas of investment, research and technology.
This will require new frameworks for global cooperation in the areas of investment, research and technology.


texts: English reading skills vs English reading skill

texts: I know skills is a plural, but I am confused because I think English reading is a singular word not plural. Why English native speakers say English reading skills, listening skills, and writing skills? Instead of reading skill, etc.


texts: How to understand a expression of " why don't you~"

texts:
I've learned that this expression is more like to persuade someone than asking the reasons

I want to make sure of what i'm thinking

When i say

Why don't you take that class?

Is more like persuading and listener wouldn't say the reason

So If i wan't to know the reason, should i say

Why you don't take that class?

Can i use the first sentence(number one) just to know the reason?

But when it comes to past tense, would it definitely be an interrogative sentence?

Why didn't you take that class?

Also

Why you didn't take that class?

Both are expected that listener would say the reason


texts: Does this sentence mean that the center is white?

texts:
There is a subsquare centered at the center of square and all it's four vertices are white.

I'm not sure if this is supposed to mean that the center of the subsquare is also white. Am I wrong?


texts:
1) They can't afford to go out very often.

  2) They can't afford going out very often.

A native speaker has said that the second usage can be heard in a colloquial speech, but it is incorrect. Is it true?


texts: Children must, should, have to or ought to go to school?

texts:
Took a test at WWW.SPEAK-UP.COM.UA. One of the questions was:

CHILDREN ..... GO TO SCHOOL.

must
should
have to - CORRECT
ought to

What's the difference? Can other variants be considered grammatically incorrect?


texts: Why do you think I know that? vs. Why do you think THAT I know that?

texts:
Which of the following is the correct or more correct?

  Why do you think I know that?
  Why do you think that I know that?


texts:
Writing to the woman who would become his third wife, Hermann Hesse complained: “Life for me now holds almost no pleasures any more, in fact I am living in Hell.” The event that had reduced Hesse to this state of near-despair was that his wife-to-be Ninon Dolbin had moved some of his books without his permission. For him this was an intolerable disruption of the orderly existence he believed essential to a writer who had detached himself from the world. His independence required that he hold all of humankind, and even his closest companion, at a rigorously policed distance. Accordingly, although the two of them lived under the same roof, he communicated with Ninon mainly in writing. As his latest biographer, Gunnar Decker, relates:.......,

My question is regarding the word “would” . I am translating this into a different language and I know would in english here might mean there was a habit in his life to marry multiple time and she was the third wife. My question is how translate “would” into a different language ? Should I just say “she was actually his third wife”


texts:
What is the difference between S' and 'S?

When can we use S' and when can we use 'S??


texts: What do "steady" and "steadily" mean here?

texts:
“To fall in love is easy, even to remain in it is not difficult; our human loneliness is cause enough. But it is a hard quest worth making to find a comrade through whose steady presence one becomes steadily the person one desires to be.”

—   Anna Louise Strong


texts:
You are a stupid.
You are a stupid person.
You are stupid.

Which one is correct? is there any different meaning?


texts: May I know which one is grammatically correct

texts:
Sue said, "Johnsy, don't move and promise me not to look out of the window."

  Sue told Johnsy not to move and to promise her not to look out of the window.
  (OR)
  Sue told Johnsy not to move and promise her not to look out of the window.

Which one is grammatically correct?


texts: I'm going to the dry cleaner's - why the apostrophe S?

texts:
"Dave's car" means the "car of Dave".

But why do we need the apostrophe S in: I'm going to the dry cleaner's ?

Is there another way to say this phrase? For example: I'm going to the establishment of the dry cleaner? (that sounds completely off to me).


texts: Recommendable conjunction for the phrase "As such"

texts:
Q. What conjunction or expression would you recommend for the words "As such" in the following passage? (I cant' exactly figure out the meaning of it even though I looked up the dictionary.)
The desire for written records has always accompanied economic activity, since transactions are meaningless unless you can clearly keep track of who owns what. As such, early human writing is dominated by wheeling and dealing: a collection of bets, bills, and contracts.


texts: Difference between "the meeting is planned..." and "the meeting has planned.."

texts:
Are these sentences correct?

The meeting is planned to be held in the coming days.
The meeting has planned to be held in the coming days.

What are the differences between them?


texts:
How to express the tasks in a list and the order is related to priority?

I thought it could be

Today's tasks with priority are

Task1: AA

Task2: BB

Task3: CC

Thank you in advance.


texts:
I am confused with the usage of "the" before an of".

City of Pain
A City of Sadness

Why the first example does not add "a" or "the" before the word "city"?
Actually, the first one is a mission of a video game called "Far Cry 4".
The second one is a movie.


texts:
It is from this video. It is at around 9 minute and 31 second. Here is the context:

  He does this one a little bit differently in terms of the weights you use, and the the volume that you use on it. And the rep totals that you are logging on here.

I have checked all the meanings of it in The Oxford Dictionary but still have a hard time understanding what the coach means there.


texts:
Should I use his or his/her in the following sentence?

  The user can determine his name.


texts: different meaning of "like(conjunction)" in context

texts:
[context]

  She caught a cold. So, she got a sick leave.

  He is dizzy now and asking a sick leave.

I come up with two possible answers below.

  Answer 1 : But it isn't the case like she got a cold. (the case means
  just her getting a cold)

  Answer 2 : But it isn't the case like he seems to get discriminated.
  (He can't get a sick leave and this seems like discrimination against
  him)

But conjunction "like" means quite differenct in each case.

I'm worrying if I should have put a comma before 'like' to mean what each answer is supposed to mean.

Is there any grammatical error, like missing comma, in both answers?

or is it only matter of interpretation to see conjunction "like" mean which?


texts: Can you leave out "for" in "ask somebody their age"?

texts: Is the form "ask somebody their age" (as opposed to "ask somebody for their age") correct?


texts: Can an object be placed before the subject?

texts:
✲ I her admire. (James McCawley, The Syntactic Phenomena of
  English)

The sentence above is unacceptable; yet consulting “That I do” (John Steinbeck’s East of Eden), ‘Her I admire’ seems to be acceptable. Is it really so?


texts: "If a drop of oil is placed in a glass of water, it __ to the top."

texts:
If a drop of oil is placed in a glass of water, it _______ to the top.

  A. will float
  B. would float
  C. does float
  D. should float

I pick C, but several people picked A.

In my opinion, this sentence belongs to conditional sentence type 0 so in the main clause, we should use present simple tense. We can use emphasis on the verb “float” and it doesn’t affect, does it?
In emphasis grammar, we can replace “floats” with “does float”. Why does nobody accept C?


texts:
What do firefighters do with buildings on fire? What is opposite of "setting on fire"? "putting fire down"?

Please give more than one suggestion.


texts: different usages of the phrase" No way is there"

texts:
Extracted from Oxford Dictionary:

There is no way we could afford that sort of money.

No way am I going to drive them there

Would anyone please teach me if my revised sentences (#3 and #4) could be correct?

No way could we afford that sort of money.

There is no way I am going to drive them there.

And, what about the following? I mean if we could use the following instead of the bold parts?

a. No way is there

b. In no way

Any feedback would greatly be appreciated.


texts: "He is/was the first man to go into space" vs. "he is/was the first man to have gone into space"

texts:
Could you please tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the following sentences?

Yuri Gagarin was a great astronaut and he is the first to go into space.
Yuri Gagarin was a great astronaut and he was the first to go into space.
Yuri Gagarin was a great astronaut and he is the first to have gone into space.
Yuri Gagarin was a great astronaut and he was the first to have gone into space.

If there is no difference in meaning, are all of them natural and correct?


texts:
The theme of transformation is a common theme ''between''  the two dramas.

The theme of transforamtion is a common theme in the two dramas.


texts:
1) I wish he were kinder to me.

  2) I wish he would be kinder to me.

What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?


texts:
Adam is a person's name.
So, can I say: Adams are four brothers.
In my language it's possible. We always make plural of people's names.


texts: What is the name of the lines from the bottom of the nose to the corners of the mouth?  Like when someone smirks.


texts: Does "significantly" also mean "clearly"?

texts:
Application changes state significantly.

Does "significantly" mean "importantly"? Although there is no dictionary that states "significantly" means "clearly", I want to be sure if there is any chance that "significantly" might mean "clearly".

Regarding the source, I couldn't find it. I copied and pasted this sentence a long time ago. This sentence was found in an application manual.


texts:
He spun his hand on the hypermarket.

A woman near him was almost hit by his hand.

  "Don't spin. You will hit people."

  "Don't spin. You will hit others."

What should I use? Are they the same meaning?


texts: "Behind each other's back" <-- is 'other's back' correct here?

texts:
People are always talking about each other behind each other's back.

Should be other's or others' or if they are both ok, and why?

Should be back or backs here?

The effect of each other is confusing me here.


texts:
Water gas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Why are we using the indefinite article here and not the definite article? We know that water gas is the only mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and no other mixture can make water gas. Then why is the definite article not being used here?


texts: meaning of “it is just on the shake of hands” and meaning of “got to”

texts:
On his coaching mantra, Roche said he never had a contract with any player.
"It's just on the shake of hands. I feel that you got to have mutual respect. The important thing in tennis is to be an unbelievable athlete. You got to move well," he concluded.
Source: Zee News, Roger Federer can play for another 4-5 years: former coach Tony Roche

What does “it is just on the shake of hands” mean?
What does “got to” in this context mean?


texts:
What are the differences between the following sentences?

Once upon a time, a lion lived in the jungle.

Once upon a time, there lived a lion in the jungle.

Once upon a time, there was a lion who lived in the jungle.


texts:
I'm having a hard time interpreting the following sentence.

Rogers usefully disaggregates two aspects of organization in low- wage
labor markets: statutory entitlements for those firms’ workers and the
firms’ technological and   regulatory sophistication as well as market
impact

What does 'statutory entitlement' mean and what is 'technological and regulatory sophistication as well as market impact'?
I know entitlement means ' a right to benefits that is granted especially by law or contract ', but what is 'statutory entitlement'?
I know 'technological" "regulatory", "sophisctication" but I have no idea what "technological and regulatory sophistication" means.
Last but not least, I'm not sure what "market impact" refer to. Is it "(firm's) market impact?  or is it impact of the firms’ technological and regulatory sophistication?
Thank you in advance.


texts: Should you use undergraduate or graduate

texts:
Consider the scenario when someone asks me about my academic background
If I reply - I have done undergraduation from university x and post graduation from university y. Is that correct?
or
I have done graduation from university x...mainly I am confused between using the words graduation and undergraduation.


texts:
Is increased here used as an adjective like "window is broken"?

a) My salary is not increased.

b) Prices are increased.

c) Profit for this month is increased.

I am aware that increased is Transitive Verb but still without doer we can understand the meaning that rise in the level of salary, Price and profit.

We can Interpret above sentences as Passive voice without doer.

a) Salary Increased by Organisation.

b) Prices Increased by Seller.

c) Profit Increase by a Company.


texts: Imperative and subjunctive are finite or non finite verbs?

texts:
Come here!
They demand that she be present at the meeting.

Could you explain to me whether come and be are finite or non-finite verbs?
Some sources on the web said these are finite verbs because it means:

(You) come here.

but others said come is non-finite .
And for be one said that it is finite because it refers to she but another said it is non-finite because it is infinitive without to.
Which one should I believe?


texts:
The 4th definition for "get" in macmillan:

  4 [intransitive] to move to or from a position or place

    get down: Abby had climbed a tree and couldn’t get down.

    get in/into: Dad stopped the car and told me to get in.
    She forgot her keys and got into the house through the window.

    get off: The hill was so steep we had to get off and push our bikes.

    get out: A car stopped and two men got out.

I was told that get + prep. implies difficulty or effort while come/go + prep. does not.

I was wondering if these "get/got" could be substituted for "come/came" or "go/went" without considerable change in meaning.


texts:
I've seen a couple of sentences with "to be" + "infinitive with to" such as:

  You are to do that.

I know it has to do with a kind of obligation but I'm still wondering what is the difference between it and using "have to".
e.g:

  I am to tell you.

vs.

  I have to tell you.


texts:
In the following sentence, is the meaning of the evidence to base policies on the same as the evidence on which policies base?

[...] but what they often lack is the evidence to base policies on.

If it is correct, can I paraphrase the evidence on which policies base with the evidence which policies base on?
In addition, can I use as or any preposition in this position? Could you help me clarify this?


texts: Which answer is right? I had a steady (job)?

texts:
The question below is from my homework.

  I had a steady_____

  Career
  Job
  Work
  Profession

I searched on the internet and I found it difficult to get the answer.

I think job is correct, am I right?


texts:
What's the right way of connecting the if-clause with other clauses in a complex sentence?
Should I just use a comma?:

If there are still some issues that haven’t not been dealt with over
one month, we feel entitled to file a complaint.

Or should I use comma and the word "then"?:

If there are still some issues that haven’t not been dealt with over
one month, then we feel entitled to file a complaint.

Or should I just do it without any commas and words?:

If there are still some issues that haven’t not been dealt with over
one month we feel entitled to file a complaint.


texts: Comma usage of non-restrictive and restrictive clauses containing that and which

texts:
I am a native speaker of English but am having trouble with the distinction between that and which, with respect to restrictive and non-restrictive clauses and comma usage.

For example, which is correct:

Dragons, that breath fire, are scary.

or

Dragons that breath fire are scary.

or

Dragons, which breath fire, are scary.

Since all dragons breath fire, breath fire seems to be descriptive or non-restrictive, so there should be no commas used.

My punctuation has never been that spot-on, although I don't have much trouble with other areas of grammar and syntax. I feel that punctuation heavily affects the readability of my writing even if the word-ordering of the sentence is grammatically correct. The links I've found about this have still left me slightly confused.

Cheers!

Edit: Upon some further reading, it seems that and which are technically interchangeable; however, that usually proceeds a restrictive clause, and which usually proceeds a non-restrictive clause. Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

Reference:

Extended Rules for Using Commas


texts:
I said out loud, "I will ride my boat....not if it is raining....if the wind speed is 5mph”
Does this mean:
I will ride my boat if it is not raining outside and if the wind speed is 5mph. That is, the 2 conditionals “not if it is raining” and “if the wind speed is 5mph” are equal to each other.
Or is the 2nd conditional serving as a conditional to the first conditional: If the wind speed is 5mph, then I will not ride my boat if it is raining outside?


texts: Need help with meaning of the words in the following sentences

texts:
Part A.The attacks on ambition are many and come from various angles; its public defenders are few and unimpressive, where they are not extremely unattractive.

What's the p.o.s of "where"? Is it a conjunction?

  Part B.In addition, far more Japanese workers expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs than did their counterparts in the 10 other countries surveyed.

I don't understand the usage of "did" in these sentence, is it a emphatic sentence or a inverted one?

  Part C.Urban Japanese have long endured lengthy commutes(travels to and from work) and crowed living conditions.

Why use travels instead of travel?


texts:
can anyone help me to understand this sentence ?

"Ulysses tells us about how he and his troops are not as young as they used to be with half the energy they used to have, there is still enough left to move them further."


texts: Is it OK to use "am/is/are going to go to..."?

texts:
Is it OK to use "... am/is/are going to go to..." or you prefer to find other words combinations?
For example, not "I'm going to go to Paris", but "I'm going to visit Paris".


texts: Can "As soon as" and "once" be used interchangeably?

texts:
I feel like they can be used interchangeably like the following sentences:

  As soon as she saw her boyfriend, she felt so happy.

  Once she saw her boyfriend, she felt so happy.

  As soon as you do this, you will succeed.

  Once you do this, you will succeed.

I made those examples, so there might be some other mistakes. If they are exactly the same, which one is more common or colloquial in the USA?


texts: What's the meaning of "I will not allow you to leave school over this"?

texts:
The word "over" has many meanings but I can not understand what is the meaning of "over" here:

  I will not allow you to leave school over this.

I think I don't get the sentence's structure correctly.

The full text is here:

  He sighed and looked heavenward. “How
  much will it cost to fix the tooth?”
  “Fourteen hundred,” I said. “I’ll find the money.”
  “The church will pay,” he said quietly. “I have a discretionary fund.”
  “That money is sacred.”
  The bishop threw his hands in the air. We sat in silence, then he opened
  his desk drawer and withdrew a checkbook. I looked at the heading. It was
  for his personal account. He filled out a check, to me, for fifteen hundred
  dollars.
  “I will not allow you to leave school over this,” he said.
  The check was in my hand. I was so tempted, the pain in my jaw so
  savage, that I must have held it for ten seconds before passing it back.

Educated by Tarawestover


texts:
The Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, immersed in financial scandal, will crack down before a general election in 2018, if not sooner (see box on next page).

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/crack-down

The definition of it is "to prevent someone from doing bad things in a more severe way" But that doesn't seem to make sense to me. I rather think the definition from the link below fits more

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/crack

  [ I ] If someone cracks, that person begins to feel weak and agrees that they have been defeated:

But the question is why "down" was used in that sentence when the dictionary suggests it is not a phrasal verb.

source: //http://www.theworldin.com/edition/2017/article/12612/asean-way


texts: "come to look for" VS "come looking for"

texts:
Is there any difference in between those below?

  He's waiting for us to come to look for him.

  He's waiting for us to come looking for him.

If not, is there any in another contexts other than "He's waiting..."?


texts:
I think maybe the following use of 'because' is different from the bold parts:

  Alice went shopping because she needed to buy bread.
  Because she needed to buy bread, Alice went shopping.

In the above we have dependent and independent clauses that form the complex sentence as a whole.

How about the following?

It is first time I have happened to see this structure (be + because) that independent clause does not make sense alone.

Can we separate these sentences into independent and dependent clauses as well?
I am not sure what kind of sentences they are, as we also can't put sentences including 'because' at the first part of the sentence.

  These changes in your behavior were probably because you were a teenager and your brain was playing havoc with your life.

  It could be because you've arbitrarily chosen to be defeated by your opponent".


texts: Is `housing finance’s future remains murky` a Object Clause in the sentence?

texts:
There is a long sentence.

  And contradictory messages from Trump himself about his priorities mean housing finance’s future remains murky.

Can i shorten it as the below?

Messages  mean that housing finance’s future remains murky.
from Trump himself about his priorities is a attribute to modify Messages.
housing finance’s future remains murky is a Object Clause？


texts: What if sentence begins with a verb in second form?

texts:
I'm trying to translate the answer I've received on the other StackExchnage's site: https://photo.stackexchange.com/a/42539/22065

Here's the sentence:

  Provided you match the field of view (by multiplying the focal length by 1.6) and keep the entrance pupil diameter the same (by multiplying the f-number by 1.6) then form a purely theoretical point of view depth of field and the amount of background blur will be the same.

A classic sentence in English is often SOV (subject + object + verb) or SVO (subject + verb + object).

In the sentence I've quoted above, the sentence begins with the verb (or not the verb?) that has the 2nd (or 3rd) form. Then comes the subject and then the object etc.

So, how should I translate the beginning part of this sentence? How this form is named? Where I can read about it?


texts:
I recently stumbled upon the following sentence (while taking an online english class):

  He sat there, as it were his office.

I immediately thought that it's wrong, but after familiarizing myself with subjunctives, I'm not so sure anymore. It would make perfect sense to me to have the sentence say

  He sat there as if it were his office

, but without the "if", it feels wrong. Is the lack of "if" justified here?


texts:
"I told him, you'd better give it up, now. You can't move her, she's in no fit state, you can't take her with you, wherever it is you're planning to go, when you're making your clever speeches, trying to whip yourselves up a following. He didn't like that," said Aberforth, ...

  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I can find "whip up", but I still don't understand "whip yourselves up a following". Can "whip up" take two objects: "whip up somebody something"? How should we understand it?


texts:
What tense is better to use to express a process in the past "for some minutes"? For example, we have a phrase "applaud for 5 minutes". If we need to say it at this moment, it will be Present Perfect Continuous.

They have been continuing to applaud for 5 minutes.

So, they will continue to do it for some time.
But if we have this situation in the past, we can't just change it to Past Perfect Continuous, can we?

They had been continuing to applaud for 5 minutes.

As I understand it, there is a need for some additional action after Past Perfect Continuous, for example, "They had been continuing to applaud for 5 minutes while the actors were on the scene."
But how to express this action in the past without some additional details? What tense to use?


texts: Are these two constructions semantically the same or different?

texts:
It is very common to use a to-infinitive or gerund clause at the beginning of a sentence as for the following:

To drive a motorbike is dangerous.
Driving a motorbike is dangerous.

My question is: Are they semantically the same or different?


texts: 3 ambiguous pronouns by Justice Antonin Scalia

texts:
Source: *Agency For International Development Et Al. v. Alliance For Open Society International, Inc., Et Al, Justice Scalia's dissent

  [Start from last para on p 19 of 25 of this PDF.] The First Amendment does not mandate a viewpoint-neutral government. Government must choose between rival ideas and adopt some as its own: competition over cartels, solar energy over coal, weapon development over disarmament, and so forth. Moreover, the government may enlist the assistance of those who believe in its ideas to carry them to fruition; and it need not enlist for that purpose those who oppose or do not support the ideas. That seems to me a matter of the most common common sense. For example: One of the purposes of America’s foreign-aid programs is the fostering of good will towards this country. If the organization Hamas—reputed to have an efficient system for delivering welfare—were excluded from a program for the distribution of U. S. food assistance, no one could reasonably object. And that would remain true if Hamas were an organization of United States citizens entitled to the protection of the Constitution. So long as the unfunded organization remains free to engage in its activities (including anti-American propaganda) “without federal assistance,” United States v. American Library Assn., Inc., 539 U. S. 194, 212 (2003) (plurality), refusing to make use of [1.] its assistance for an enterprise to which [2.] it is opposed does not abridge [3.] its speech. And the same is true when the rejected organization is not affirmatively opposed to, but merely unsupportive of, the object of the federal program, which appears to be the case here. (Respondents do not promote prostitution, but neither do they wish to oppose it.) A federal program to encourage healthy eating habits need not be administered by the American Gourmet Society, which has nothing against healthy food but does not insist upon it.

I'm only guessing, so further to checking my guesses, please explain how to determine/deduce the right antecedent? Is Justice Scalia's pronoun use truly ambiguous here, or is my naivety the problem? For brevity, abbreviate 'government' as govt and the unfunded organisation orgn.

its = the US government's (assistance)?
it = the US government
its = the unfunded organization's?

Update Dec 16 2014: How can [1.] mean the orgn? Does it only make sense for the orgn to refuse the govt assistance? Why would the govt refuse the orgn's assistance?


texts: Is "Good times take precedent over every incident" correct?

texts:
1) Is it right sentence in terms of grammar? 2) Is it right sentence in terms of logic?

  Good times take precedent over every incident

Link to lyrics

I think:

Good times to take precedent

OR

Good times take precedents


texts: Which one is correct "What to say and what not to" or "what to say and what to not"

texts:
In short sentences like these :

"What to say and what not to" or "what to say and what to not"

and "What to buy and what to not" which one is correct?


texts: the present tense referring to the future in subordinate clauses

texts:
"If she breaks that wall, she will have to pay."
"Go to the first man that rings the bell."
I know that the sentences above are correct in the present tense of the subordinate clauses. but I'm not sure about the tenses in the subordinate clauses below.
"We have gotten an opportunity that we will borrow a gym for a day."
"He will tell you that he is working on a science project, which he will start tomorrow."
Can you tell me exactly when to use the present tense in subordinate clauses whose main clause refers to the future to refer to the future? I want to know all the cases. (And I want to get many answers.)


texts: Is there any difference in meaning between the phrase "take someone's word for it" and "take someone at their word"?

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning and usage between the phrase take someone's word for it and take someone at their word? For example:

Sara told me that she would keep her promise. I had no choice but to take her word for it.
Sara told me that she would keep her promise. I had no choice but to take her at her word.


texts: Should we use singular or plural after questions asking “Which among the following ...”?

texts:
Should I use singular or plural after a question starting with Which among the following?
For example, should it be version #1 or version #2 below?

Which among the following statements are ...?

Which among the following statement is ...?

Where the reader is supposed to make a selection from a set of several possible statements listed below that question.


texts:
  "You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?", said Malfoy a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all." It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."
    Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.
    "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.
    Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."
    "Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

What does Ron mean by the phrase "You tell him, Neville"?


texts:
In the book "How an economy grows and why it crashes" by Peter D. Schiff, page 4, paragraph 2 has the sentence

  Wake, fish, eat, sleep. Not much of a life, but hey, it beats the alternative.

For 'it beats the alternative', who beat who and who won?


texts: How to change habit of saying "she" for male or "he" for female in conversations

texts:
In my language, Indonesian, we don't use he or she. We only use one word, dia, but we know what we are talking about in the conversations. Now, in English language I have to use "He" or "She". But sometimes I called "she" to a male in a conversation or "he" to a female without realizing it.

I caught it sometimes and I changed it right away. I got embarrassed too sometimes.
Now, How to change that habit? Help please!


texts: Can I call a group of simulations "simulations with parameter A"?

texts: I have an algorithm, and the performance of the algorithm will be influenced by several parameters. If I carry a group of simulations to test the algorithm's performance against parameter A, is it correct to say that the group of simulations is "simulations with parameter A"? Or some other proposition is more suitable than "with"? Any suggestion will be appreciated.


texts:
I am confused about the meaning of this sentence. In the sentence, what is the meaning of the verb 'have'?

  I have a piece of cake.