texts:
Is there an idiom that roughly means "we gotta do what we gotta do"? I can think of another one like "I gotta earn my keep", but it's a little too specific and wage related. Is there any general idiom that means roughly the same thing? I can't think of one.

I am looking for a general idiom that can be used in almost any context and not just some random phrase.


texts: the office cubicles need to be replaced?

texts:
Does it make sense to say "the office cubicles need to be replaced" in the sense that the partitions need to be replaced?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
"I have my dinner and go to my work."

If I change this sentence, which one is more correct?

  (a) Having dinner; I go to my work.
  (b) Having had my dinner; I go to my work.


texts:
I can't give you any promise that your late response will be
acknowledged.
Again, I can't give you any promise [for/about/on] that.

Is any of the above cases correct? I'm particularly asking about the preposition that comes after "give somebody a promise".


texts: What does the word "conversation" convey?

texts:
I want to know the exact usage for the word "conversation", meaning does it have any relationship with time and how long does it take. For example:

Someone is walking on the street and he met his closest friend, they stopped and started talking for 5-10 minutes. Is this a conversation or chat?
Someone joined a meeting to discuss issues related business they spent three hours of discussion (I think this is a conversation!)


texts: Is this sentence correct please: I fear a dozen shores that I haven’t yet sailed

texts:
I'm writing a poem and I want to convey hesitation and anxiety but I'm not sure this sentence is correct in meaning and grammar:

  I fear a dozen shores that I haven't yet sailed


texts: Which is correct - "all the people are students" or "all the people are a student" or "all the people are student"?

texts:
Which one is correct:

a. All the people are students here.
b. All the people are a student here.
c. All the people are student here.

Some one told me "a" and "b" are correct.
I believed just "a" is correct. While searching more about it, I came across bare nouns. Now I guess "a" and "c" are possible answers. So would you please help me?


texts: Does the following sound natural: "Please hold the bottle upright! Don't tip it upside down as you might spill water in the stroller"?

texts:
A child's sitting in a stroller holding a bottle of water without a cap.

Is it natural to say to the child:

  "Please hold the bottle upright! Don't tip it upside down as you might spill water in the stroller"?

There are many issues that I need to think about.

-1st, "Hold the bottle upright! don't tip it upside down" is too much to express.

Depending on the amount of water in the bottle, if the water is a lot, it will spill if the bottle is tipped at a small angle (may be 20 or 30 degrees).

If the water is little, it will spill if the bottle is tipped at a greater angle (may be 90 or 100 degrees).

To say "tip it upside down" means "to tip it at 180 degrees" which is too much.

Similarly, to keep the water in the bottle, we don't need to "**hold the bottle upright!" extremely. If the water is a lot, you may hold it almost upright. Id the water is little, you may not tip it at a greater angle.

Do we have any idioms to be used with "hold" & "tip" to mean to keep the water inside the bottle?

-2nd, is it okay to say "to spill water in the stroller"? We often say "to spill water on the floor", so "to spill in something" sounds uncommon. Do you say "to spill water on the seat of the stroller"?


texts: What is the grammar of "for A to be considered B, …"?

texts:
I see some sentences like the below:

  In order for food to be considered raw, it must not have been heated over 46°C (115°F).
  For a person to be considered a suspect case of Ebola, they must have a sudden fever.
  For a laptop to be considered one of the best, it'd need one of these.

Question #1: The structure "For ... to be considered …" is used in all the above sentences. I think at least in the last two sentences, it could be said "A person/laptop is considered ..." instead. Am I right? or would they imply different meanings?

Question #2: What grammatical function does the "FOR ..." part play here?


texts: Better word to mean "unintended mix of expressions"

texts:
I found this sentence in some text:

The conversation you cite with A, B and C sounds to my eyes uncommon.

Based on this, I wanted to explain something like this:

Most likely, it is a (contraption) of "sounds to me" and "to my eyes"...

What is the proper word, instead of contraption, which means "unintended mix" or similar?


texts: What does 'in a frozen sort of way' mean?

texts:
Could you please explain the meaning of the following sentence?

  It was winter and it was beautiful in a frozen sort of way.

In particular, what is the meaning of 'in a frozen sort of way'?


texts:
"Each time he made the turn, he saw only the white, unused, buckling sidewalk, with perhaps, on one night, something vanishing swiftly across a lawn"... p.11 Fahreheit 451

Does it mean that the sidewalk is bent (upward), as when a tree grows next to a sidewalk and distorts it to make room for its roots? But then again, it seems paradoxical that it's buckling but also unused... Any thoughts?


texts: "Pic courtesy of Jessica Drake and @GloriaAllred" means?

texts:
I see it from this article. I don't understand what Pic courtesy of Jessica Drake and @GloriaAllred means.

  Drake with #DonaldTrump at Tahoe event in 2006. Pic courtesy of Jessica Drake and @GloriaAllred


texts: Why do you think semicolons are used herein?

texts:
The list below is taken from Barbara Abbott's 'Definiteness and Indefiniteness.' My query is not related to the contents of the paper but it is about the punctuation she uses, about the use of semicolons. Why do you think she uses semicolons in these bold parts, where I think simple commas suffice? I think she purposely uses semicolons, but I cannot figure out her intents.

I cannot reproduce her list to a tee here. If you would take the trouble of going to the actual site and see Table 1, it would be much appreciated.

Respectfully,

Sssamy

  NP type: [NP e]
  More details: control PRO; pro; other instances of ellipsis
  Examples: Mary tried e to fly; [on a pill packet] e contains methanol [=Ariel 1988, ex. 7a]

('NP' here is actually a subscript in the paper)

  NP type: Pronouns
  More details: the personal pronouns
  Examples: I, you, she, them

  NP type: Demonstratives
  More details: demonstrative pronouns; NPs with demonstrative determiners
  Examples: This, that, this chair over here

  NP type: Possessive NPs
  More details: NPs with genitive NPs as determiner
  Examples: my best friend's wedding, our house


texts:
If I use “while “in a sentence, I need to use verb ing only?
 For example : I saw a Pigeon While I was driving.


texts: "that they may not be increased, and ascertained, that they may not be confounded"

texts:
Box 5 From the Preface to Johnson’s Dictionary of the
English Language (1755)

‘In adjusting the ORTHOGRAPHY, which has been to this time unsettled and
fortuitous, I found it necessary to distinguish those irregularities that are
inherent in our tongue, and perhaps coeval with it, from others which the
ignorance or negligence of later writers has produced. Every language
has its anomalies, which, though inconvenient, and in themselves once
unnecessary, must be tolerated among the imperfections of human things,
and which require only to be registered, that they may not be increased,
and ascertained, that they may not be confounded: but every language
has likewise its improprieties and absurdities, which it is the duty of the
lexicographer to correct or proscribe.’

The English Language A Very Short Introduction (2018) by Simon Horobin, p 69.
I'll re-write and delete some  immaterialities to simplify the last sentence.

Every language has its anomalies, which, though inconvenient, and in themselves once
unnecessary, must be tolerated among the imperfections of human things,
and which require only to be registered, that they may not be increased,
and ascertained, that they may not be confounded . B ut every language
has likewise its improprieties and absurdities, which it is the duty of the
lexicographer to correct or proscribe.’

Rectify me if I didn't curtail this sentence correctly.

What exactly does they` refer to?

Now the last two THAT clauses look ungrammatical.

Every language has its anomalies, which must be tolerated among the imperfections of human things, and which require only to be registered, that they may not be increased, and ascertained, that they may not be confounded.


texts: Can 'singer' be used as an uncount noun?

texts:
Singer Mizuki Nana and her sister took viewers by surprise with
  their voracious eating of roasted duck.

Macmillan learner's dictionary says 'singer' is a count noun. Might I trouble you to tell me why 'singer' is used as an uncount noun? There can't be seen any determiner before 'singer'.


texts: Does the present perfect always come before the past perfect?

texts:
You can borrow it after my other friend has finished reading it.

Is that above sentence grammatically correct?
Does the formula always go like this: present perfect (has finished) + ing-form (reading)?
Why we use present perfect, in fact the book is still being read?


texts:
What does "prod home" mean in football (soccer)?

  GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 BOURNEMOUTH (MANE)
  Andddddd we have liftoff at Anfield! Sadio Mane prods home at the second time of asking inside the box for his 17th goal of the season in all competitions.

  Asmir Begovic did so well to get down low and save Mane’s initial free header inside the penalty area, however Bournemouth’s sleeping defence did not have the awareness to get to the ball first and clear it away.

  The Liverpool forward picked out a free corner in the net and swept the ball flying into the back of the net. 1-0 after just seven minutes.


texts:
A successfully big operation is often followed by a period of "health recovery phase" which sometimes needs at least 1 month.

What's another phrase I could use? Does "health restoration phase" sound natural?


texts:
Your suggestion is no different from that of the other employees.

  Your suggestion is not different from that of the other employees.

Which is the correct word to use here no or not  and what's the difficulty in their meaning ?

PS : while using no instead of not than sounds better to my ears than using from

I.e.

    Your suggestion is no different than that of the other employees


texts: How to understand the use of 'only' in this context

texts:
The king and queen rushed the girls to the trolls, mysterious healers who knew about magic. A wise troll named Grand Pabbie saved Anna by removing her memories of Elsa's magic. He explained that she was lucky to have been hit in the head, not in the heart.

  The troll told the king and queen that Elsa's powers would only grow stronger. "Fear will be her enemy," he warned.

  The King and queen knew they had to protect their daughter. ....

  FROZEN Storybook Collection

This is from the Children's book FROZEN. I'm not sure what "Elsa's powers would only grow stronger" is trying to convey in this context. Also, in "Fear will be her enemy,", is 'her' referring to Anna or Elsa?


texts:
In the near future you will discard your body with robotic upgrades.

Or

  In the near future you would discard your body with robotic upgrades.

Won't we use "would" instead as we're speculating about future?


texts:
what "esteemed house sister" means in the sentence?
Alice. In my short time as your head of dorm. I and Mia, your esteemed house sister.
The passage's from That Face (Play)


texts: I had  heard this from someone who was saying this to her dogs. As 'upto' has different meanings and those meanings do not fit in this sentence. So what does it mean ?


texts: You have gone through - you have been going through

texts:
Is there a difference in meaning between the following two sentences?

  I can't even imagine what you have gone through.
  I can't even imagine what you have been going through.


texts:
May I know should it be has or had lost?
Lucy did not have any money for lunch as she had or has lost her wallet in the morning.
Thank you.


texts:
If "under the ocean" or "under the sea" means underwater, under the surface. Then what should we say to point to something under the "under the ocean, sea"?

I was thinking of:

Under the ocean floor.
Under the sea floor.

Also, is undersea or underocean possible based on that underground is.


texts:
A lot of students are present at the meeting.
A lot of students are presented at the meeting.

we can use present as adjective and verb.
when I should use adjective form and perfect form ?


texts: Is it correct to say "talking via video"?

texts: Tell me please if it is correct to say I would like to talk to you via video meaning that I would like to communicate with someone face to face on the internet or skype for example.


texts: What is the meaning of "building to flip"?

texts:
What is the usage of this phrase building to flip, I found it here and here and in many other places.

So what is to"to flip" means at the first place, the dictionary says

  turn over or cause to turn over with a sudden sharp movement

So is "building company to flip" means "building company to turn over"? it sounds confusing!


texts:
I’d like to know if it’s grammatically correct to use every in the following sentences:

Every five steps forward are followed by ten steps back.
Every few months of peace are followed by months of unrest.

If not, how do I rephrase them?


texts: The priority of the adverb "at first" and the modal "should"

texts:
Which one is the correct usage ?

We at first should examine all documents

We should at first examine all documents

I think the second one sounds more correct.


texts:
will you help me in giving (telling)  the correct format of letter writing, please?

I wonder If you tell me the format of both formal and informal letters.

I teach my students English but I'm using the old format, and I'd like to learn new ways of letter writing.

I'm in desperate need of them.


texts:
Kindly pay the pending salary of mentioned ex-employees

I am writing the above sentence to the finance department but I am not able to understand this sentence grammatical composition, specially why we used "mentioned" (the 2nd word).


texts: What is the syntax of the verb "wish" when we want to wish somebody something for the future

texts:
"I wish that you have happiness and hope"
"I wish that God will grant to you health..."

Are the above phrases correct?
What is the syntax of the verb "wish" when we want to wish somebody to have something or to do something in the future?


texts: The signal "from" or "of" diffusing probes

texts:
What is more common or correct?

  The signal from diffusing probes can be estimated by ...

or

  The signal of diffusing probes can be  estimated by...

As I understand it, "from" indicates origin and "of" possession, but somehow both meanings seem to fit quite well here.


texts:
I always understood format as a way something is arranged, but how can you "sense a format"? Maybe it does mean that it was meant that he sense the way things are arranged, like he understands how something is arranged, even after some research I am not very sure.

Here's the context or source rather: http://www.hardwareforums.com/threads/mpeg-4-aac-lc-audio-codec.15613/

Last user posted: "i sense a format coming on in my nervs"


texts: take time to do something / doing something

texts:
While in New York he took time to visit some friends.

This is an example of the phrase take time to do something from Longman Dictionary.
My question is, can we also say While in New York he took time visiting some friends? Is that also grammatically correct?


texts:
Wiktionary.com has two examples for ‘as well as’: conjunction and preposition.

Are the two sentences below grammatically correct?

  (preposition) He as well as you is right.
  (conjunction) He as well as you are right.


texts: Is "memrise" approach good for memorizing English words?

texts:
There's a website called memrise for memorizing English words form various English books, like 504 essential words, 3500 for GRE, etc (I don't know you're familiar with or not). I want to broaden my English words domain, however I'm in doubt whether its approach for memorizing and subsequently the ability for using them in real speaking or writing, is a good approach or not. If you're already not familiar with this website I'll shortly introduce its manner for memorizing words.

It divided a bunch of words in the form of a couple of lessons. Once a user get done with one lesson, it enforce he/she to review words in a smart manner (at least for me), in such a way that harder words appear in review session in more frequently than easier ones. Another point that should be said is it does not provide examples or phrases for new words, It only provides new words along with its meanings.

Now, my question would be whether this approach for memorizing English words is good or not? In more general view, an approach for memorizing words that only confine users to words and their meanings and in the other side doesn’t provide sample sentences which that word is used in, is good or not?

Because I've heard never memorize words without their usage in sentences, so I'm now a little unwilling to use memrise service.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance


texts:
Do I need a comma before the quotation, or can I write without it? This is the sentence:

  Someone, not so long ago said, “Simply put: If you’re doing business with the biggest companies in the world, you’re not just spending time in New York, London, and Hong Kong”


texts:
Which sentences below would more formal ?

  1) He is closer to me than my brother

  2) He is closer to me than my brother is

  3) He is closer to me than my brother close to me.

I wonder especially third one. If I want to write full sentence Should I write the third one?


texts:
"Ted, it's really stacking up against you here, mate."

Does this mean that things are going unfavorable for Ted??

Situation:
Ted is an suspect of a murder case and every evidence indicates he is a criminal. And a detective said this to Ted.


texts: Why "offending," instead of "offensive"?

texts:
Came across the following sentence in an online article:

  Her offending remarks are usually flippant and coarse, f-word-driven, her subsequent apology statement couched in the starched jargon of socially conscious contrition.

Why is "offending" used here instead of "offensive"?


texts: Question on grammatically correct statement

texts:
Which amongst the following is grammatically correct?

  A) Almost nobody is interested in spending time on reading classical mechanics.
  B) Almost nobody is interested about spending time on reading classical mechanics.
  C) Hardly anybody is interested in spending time reading classical mechanics.
  D) Hardly anybody is interested in spending time in reading classical mechanics.

Here, options (A) & (B) ruled out as the word 'almost' is not used with negative words (i.e, nobody);
but, why can't answer be (D)? Any help please...


texts:
I have a problem with correct understanding difference while I should use past simple continuous or past simple.

  The simple past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in
  the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear
  that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as:
  always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger,
  etc.

  Examples:

  I studied French when I was a child.
  He played the violin. He didn't play the piano.
  Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
  She worked at the movie theater after school.
  They never went to school, they always skipped class.

So let’s take a look at first example:

  I studied French when I was a child.

When I say:

  I was studying French when I was a child.

Is grammatical?


texts: How do you read 0.1 and 0.24 and 1 4/5 aloud in American English?

texts:
0.1
0.24
1 4/5

How do you read them and is there any differences in American and British?


texts: With or without the indefinite article (an)?

texts:
Which usage is correct? with or without the indefinite article (an)?

The study revealed inadequacy in understanding this difficult part of the problem.

or

The study revealed (an) inadequacy in understanding this difficult part of the problem.


texts: Should I use "simple past" or "past simple" when talking about tense grammar?

texts:
It seems that wiki accepts both "simple past" and "past simple"

  The simple past, past simple or past indefinite, sometimes called the preterite, is the basic form of the past tense in Modern English.

which one is being used in some widely recognized references such as Cambridge English?


texts: Subject verb agreement with collective noun

texts:
A bag of oranges that is ripe.

A bag of oranges that are ripe.

Should bag or oranges agree with the verb here?
I think are is the correct choice here because oranges are what's ripe in this case.
But if the sentence was something like

A bag of oranges that is torn

It would be is because the bag is the subject that is torn.
Is this the right way to think about this?


texts: "to suggest an answer for" or "to suggest an answer to"?

texts:
Which one is more idiomatic: *to suggest an answer to a question* or *to suggest an answer for a question*?

  I intend to introduce the question and suggest an answer to it.

or

  I intend to introduce the question and suggest an answer for it.


texts:
In the dictionary, the verb "to be" has the meaning exist and the meaning occur/take place. What is the exact meaning of be in sentence below?

  There have been enormous advances in technology.


texts: When one of the two objects of a verb is a reflexive pronoun

texts:
We say 'pass me the salt' and 'pass the salt to me'.
We also say 'I found the right car for me'.
But which of the following sentences are correct?

I found the right car for myself.
I found myself the right car.


texts: Could you help me to understand this sentence?

texts:
Certainly we will, said Glaucon; and in a few minutes Polemarchus appeared, and with him Adeimantus, Glaucon's brother, Niceratus the son of Nicias, and several others who had been at the procession. - The Republic of Plato

It's difficult to read.

Q1. Whom does the pronoun "him" refer to in the first sentence?
1) Polemarchus
2) Adeimantus: According to appostion (him Adeimantus).
3) Who else?

Q2. I know there should be at least one verb after conjunction 'add' when it is used to start a new sentence or clause that continues or adds to a previous sentence or clause., but there isn't any verb after "and" in this sentence. Is it okay?

Q3. What is the grammar of "and with him Adeimantus"? The form is noun after noun (him Adeimantus) but it doesn't look like apposition. Because I think the pronoun "him" refers to Polemarchus.

Q4. What on earth the meaning of "and with him Adeimantus, Glaucon's brother, Niceratus the son of Nicias, and several others who had been at the procession."
1) Polemarchus appeared with Adeimantus, Glaucon's brother, Niceratus and others. : I just presumed. I have no idea about grammatical problems.
2) What else?


texts: Is "than was wise" grammatically correct?

texts:
That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone.

  —J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Why isn't there any subject before 'than'? Usually 'subject + verb' or just nouns comes after 'more than~', as in "Harsh treatment by her mother-in-law was more than she could bear.", and "We prize liberty more than life."

But here, there's no subject and an adjective 'wise' came after 'was'. I don't understand the grammatical structure here, thus I'm also having difficulty understanding what this sentence means.


texts:
It's from the 20th episode of the 3rd season of The Office. Here's the context:
Creed: When I went over Wednesday, for the spot-check, I got a call from Debbie Brown, saying she has an emergency dentist appointment.
Dwight: Emergency dentist appointment.
Creed: Now I’m told she told her manager she had the flu. I’m a trusting guy, but uh, I just wish Debbie Brown had been there. We would have caught this.


texts: what is the difference between "more than" and "to be more than"?

texts:
Lesson 6 - Saving the rainforests

  Did you know that on one tree, there was found to be more than fifty different species of ants!

What does "to be" mean in the above context? I guess the context has the same meaning without "to be". I wonder I am right or not?


texts:
Could you say which sentence is correct and explain your point of view? Maybe both sentences are used?

He is sleeping because he was tired.

vs

He is sleeping because he is tired.


texts: When he is not playing/when he doesn't play?

texts:
Roger Federer has just won another award (in 2013 - one of his worst seasons) in his career and Tim Henman commenting on the ceremony says ironically:

  He will probably win (once or twice more/again) the fans favourite even when he is not playing.

I wonder why my teacher says "When he does not play" would be wrong and that it would imply just one match. However my intention is to say "When he does not play" = when he is retired.

Is it really wrong? What is the difference please?

Thank you!


texts:
From CNN Student News: CNN Student News Jan 22, 2014

JASON SANCHEZ, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: After a decade of planning and construction, One World Trade Center is getting ready to open for business by the end of this year. But before it opens, CNN Money got a sneak peak at what the tallest building in North America will look like from the inside.
Workers are still building out the lobby, but there are already some distinctive nods to the original World Trade Center complex.

From the dictionary, nods means an act of nodding, also can be extended as approve, but what's the meaning of the word here? Also means nodding?


texts:
Which definition of rough to choose? Could you tell me the correct definition that concords with the context of the definition of shack?

Shack - a roughly built hut or cabin

Rough - not finished decoratively
Rough - not finished tidily
Rough - lacking sophistication
Rough - make uneven or ruffled
Rough - lacking refinement


texts: What do "ed:XXX" meaning in translated manga?

texts:
For example(8 page):
http://mangahasu.se/onii-chan-wa-oshimai/vol-6-chapter-17-mahiro-and-the-onsen-
panic-first-part-c590411.html#8

I can't find a tool to query such abbreviations word.


texts:
I have learnt some words can use present tense to express the future.

Like:

Even if it rains, I will go outside. Can I change this one to: Even if you have jobs to do tomorrow, you are still playing!!!

If you booked a ticket, you can enjoy our best service now. Can I change this one to: Even if you booked a ticket, you still can't enjoy the service for some reason. (Here the past tense is about guessing, not the unreality.）

And about Even if he had jobs to do tomorrow, he was still playing.Obviously, he was fired. (Just change the first example to the past, now someone is talking about the reason why he got fired.)

Thanks so much!


texts:
What phrase would you use to express that you relax at home after work and don't do any special activity ?

If what I want to say is that the only thing I do after work is resting, I think I could use one of these

  I take a break at home after work.
  I get some rest at home after work.

However, I am not sure what expression I can use to mean that

  I don't do anything special at home after work but I just chill out at home

  chill out at home

feels the closest to what I mean to say but I am wondering if there is any other way of saying this, possibly a little bit more formal.


texts:
Suppose there is a festival like the one in my city which is called " Dates Festival", a festival where people can sell or buy dates fruit. And people who want to sell dates should book a stall in the festival location. Can we say:

Merchants who wish to enroll "in/at/for" the Dates Festival should contact Abo Abdullah on 0598435216.


texts:
How do you call the people who love baseball?
Do you usually use "baseball mania" or "baseball lover"?


texts:
Thinking about a product’s function will lead a creator to consider which materials to use - See more at: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/is-design-a-science-or-an-art/#sthash.8XIsbdWo.dpuf

Can I use “what” instead of "which" in this sentence? Why or why not?

My first reaction is that using "what" is not very proper here, but I can't tell why. I find it a little tricky on using “what” in sentences like this.


texts:
is the article 'the' needed in the second noun in this sentence:

Keith forgot to turn off the television and (the) fan.

Thanks.


texts: Using "I hurt my hands" when they feel hot

texts:
I cooked noodles and put them in a bowl. I accidentally touched the bowl with my hands.

  I hurt my hands.

My hands are not injured and just feel really hot. Can hurt be used in this context?


texts: Can a pronoun represent a noun first appearing in a relative clause or first appearing as an object?

texts:
I have a question about the use of pronouns.

Can a pronoun represent a noun first appearing in a relative clause?

Can a pronoun represent a noun first appearing as an object (like the object of a verb or preposition, etc)?

Or a pronoun can always represent a noun wherever the noun first appears as long as it precede the pronoun?

Example 1:

  Friend: Why do you support the movement?

  Me: The movement can alleviate the problem [which women have] for them.

The bold part "which women have" is the relative clause.

Can the "them" represent the word "women", which is in the adjective clause?

Is it grammatically correct to use a pronoun like that?

Example 2:

  (1) I will come back from the store with potatoes in my basket and get rid of them for cash afterward.

  (2) I will amass potatoes and get rid of them for cash afterward.

Can the "them" represent the word "potatoes"?


texts: why in "Summer is the season when I'm happiest." we have restrictive relative clause?

texts:
By definition restrictive relative clause modifies the meaning of its head word (restricts its possible referent). In the sentence "Summer is the season when I'm happiest." how "the season" restricted by "when I'm happiest"?

I think that "the season" already restricted/defined by the "Summer" and "when I'm happiest" is an non-restrictive relative clause which adds supplementary information.


texts: Clamber can be used when they don't use their hands?

texts:
[i] "Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train.
  . . .

  [ii] They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
  . . .

  [iii] Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Does this word, clamber, used only when somebody climbs up something using their hands? Or can it also be used when they don’t use their hands?

  to climb or move with difficulty or a lot of effort, using your hands and feet (OALD)
  to climb or crawl in an awkward way (Merriam-Webster’s)


texts: "To put on make-up" and "to wear make-up"

texts: I asked this question a few days ago but I am still confused about the difference of meaning between "to put on make-up" and "to wear make-up".


texts:
I wrote this sentence:

  it is a semantic property used to indicate the current title, it could be the values of HTML heading nodes like H1, H2.

vs.

  it is a semantic property used to indicate the current title, it can be the values of HTML heading nodes like H1, H2.

It is in a scientific article to bring examples. should I use "can" or "could". what is the difference?


texts: Stress in the sentence "I'm proud of you, Hannah"

texts:
I know that we usually stress content words in a sentence and unstress function words as long as stress is not shifted for special emphasis.

In the sentence, "I'm proud of you, Hannah", I would probably stress the words "proud" and "Hannah" leaving the pronoun "you" unstressed. I think that stressing "you" doesn't make sense because I also provided the name of the person and clearly I don't make special emphasis. Am I right?


texts: How to change a sentence from passive to active voice?

texts:
I have the following sentence in the passive voice, and I wonder how I can reformulate it to the same sentence in the active voice.
The sentence is:

  We can see those times jurors were first appointed by the state.


texts: Is it correct to use “am” in a sentence without “I”?

texts:
I am noticing the trend of people using to be (am) without the subject (I). For example:

  Guys, am deciding to move away from Photoshop. Can you advise other apps as alternative?

Is this grammatically correct? I feel like people use this like it’s normal. From what I’ve learned about English in my younger days, I never met this occurrences. So I feel this form is weird and not normal. But is it correct though?


texts: What are the differences between should, were, and if conditional clauses?

texts:
Mr. Brocklehurst, I believe I intimated in the letter which I wrote to you three weeks ago, that this little girl has not quite the character and disposition I could wish: should you admit her into Lowood school, I should be glad if the superintendent and teachers were requested to keep a strict eye on her, and, above all, to guard against her worst fault, a tendency to deceit.
  (Jane Eyre)

I guess should can be replaced by were, or if. What are the semantic differences between all three of them?


texts: Am I making jokes when I speak "please don't miss me"

texts:
Last time I expressed the idea "don't pass me" I used the phrase: Please don't miss me.

I want to use the meaning of "miss" in this sentence: It would be just his luck to miss the last boat.

It seems that I made a big mistake. Still I felt awkward.

So what are the possible meanings of "miss" in different situations?


texts: How to understand the use of "which" in this sentence?

texts:
There was clearly nothing to do but sit down and cry. So Della cried. Which led to the thought that life is made up of little cries and smiles, with more little cries than smiles.

source:A Special Story for Christmas: 'The Gift of the Magi'

I just can't understand the meaning of the bold sentence above, and I can't convince myself to accept that sentence as clarified —— especially the use of "which"! For there is nothing to choose from!

What's more, it's not a question sentence(without question mark)!

Why don't use "what",which seems much more natural and clarified to me?


texts: Is the use of 'for' after the adjective 'attractive'' acceptable?

texts:
In the following sentence, is the use of 'for' after the adjective 'attractive'  acceptable? It is said  in a dictionary that 'attractive' is followed by the preposition 'to'.

  Pleasant beaches are attractive for tourists to relax on.


texts:
What does the phrase "making a difference" mean?e.g.
Making a difference:philanthropy and volunteerism in America.

What does this sentence mean?
Is it asking about the difference between philanthropy and volunteerism or any other thing?

I think it does not mean the difference between philanthropy and volunteerism but I am confused if it doesn't mean this then what?


texts: Should [verb] vs should be [verb + -ing]

texts:
Do they mean the same? Or have slightly different meanings?'

Example sentence:

  Sorry, I'm rambling. We should focus/be focusing on the topic: your life.

Does this sentence change if the pick one option or the other?


texts: "Seemed connected" vs "Seemed to be connected."

texts:
Example:

  From this angle the bridge looked just like a garden path—due to the
  grass and flowers growing along it and that seemed (to be) connected
  to the land ahead.

Should I use to be here? Why or why not?


texts:
When you want to say that you had or are having problems with something, what is the best way to express this:

I'm having a problem with saying this correctly.
I'm having a problem saying this correctly.

Another example:

There is a problem with sending this form.
There is a problem sending this form.


texts:
The optics of these talks were important to everyone involved.
  This was the first get-together for the warring parties in more than
  two years and, more importantly, the first time Syrian officials and
  opposition leaders have sat across the table from each other

what does ''optics'' mean here?


texts:
Eat up your dinner.
Eat your dinner up.

Jack eats up his dinner.
Jack eats his dinner up.

Could we say in these way?


texts:
So according to rule we should use bare infinitive after modals and auxiliary verb do, so my question is that, is this sentence grammatically correct

  What he did was wrong.

Or it should be

  What he did is wrong.

I am confused with this sentence, i mean “was" is not a bare infinitive, is it grammatically correct to use past tense after do, did and does.


texts:
I heard this in a movie and wondering what is the exact meaning and usage?

I don't want to say anything (because I don't know about the matter).
I know but I prefer not to say anything.
I don't have right to say anything.


texts:
I feel that this sentence is awkward,

  The nature of convergences of topological relations of plane
  adjacencies, allowing for the reconstruction of roof corner geometries
  with preserved topology, can be derived from cycles in roof topology
  graphs.

If I explain the meaning what I am trying to explain in a simple way: If we think a roof corner (or any corner in a  cub for example), we can assume it is made by intersecting adjacent roof planes. By knowing the property topology of adjacent planes, we can undestand the nature how that corner is made and how another corner is made (as they are not the same). This convergence of adjacent planes or lets say convergence of topological relations can be derived from cycles in a topology graph. At the same time, Correct recognition of nature of convergence of topological relations allow to reconstruct roof corners in a correct way (by preserving the correct topology).

SO, I want mention these all ideas in a sentence or two.
Can anyone suggest me the best way to enhance this sentence even at least by breaking this.


texts:
I would like to know if the word finish could be replaced by have finished. Is there a difference? Thanks.

  Until you finish all your food, you cannot go out and play.


texts:
I really want to close this topic but I just want to make some little poll or just tell me what you think would be more commonly said in such case.

Today is Friday (10.2.2017)

I started my youtube channel 24.1.2017 and uploaded 5 videos since then. (I would say i have that channel for 2 two weeks, though it is going to be three after this one ends, i would not say three yet because it is not full three.)

What is more correct to say today or would be correct to say yesterday (Thursday) if I wanted to mention all my 5 videos ?

A. I have uploaded 5 videos in the last two weeks.

B. I have uploaded 5 videos in the last three weeks.

For me, A sounds more correct, like I understand that since that date(24.1.2017) it is more than 14 days, it is i believe 17-18 days so almost three weeks, but I would not say in the last three weeks because it is not full three weeks yet, because than it would not fit with (these videos were uploaded two weeks ago). If I said in the last three weeks (I would think some videos were uploaded 3 weeks ago.)

Do I understand it like many people would? What do you think? What you would say? Like I know every language can be a little different in this but I just want to make sure how it is used in English usually or more commonly.

Thanks for help and I apologize that I cannot stop thinking about this logic :/


texts: Is "release date" grammatically correct?

texts:
Why I always heard something like "Iphone release date and price unveiled". Shouldn't it be "be released" by someone? (Iphone can't release anything itself as a lifeless object)

I look up some the online dictionaries, none of it says "release" can be used as "adjective" (in order to describe "date"), and even if it can, it should be "the release date of Iphone and price unveiled".

What am I missing?


texts: What adjective do you use to describe someone who doesn't let others use their things when they themselves don't need them the moment?

texts: Let's say there is a person who has three phones, which they don't all need at the moment. And one of the person's coworkers asks them if they can use one of the person's phones because their phone went dead, but the person refuses to lend them a phone. What adjective would you use to describe a person who doesn't share their stuff when they don't need it? Can I say they are greedy?


texts: Is it correct/natural to use an inanimate subject for causative HAVE?

texts:
The protocol has me divide the area into several plots.
  The next trial has the protagonist enter the cave.

The first sentence is mine, and the second was written by a non-native speaker while correcting one of my posts on Lang-8.

Is it correct and natural to use an inanimate object as the subject for causative HAVE?


texts:
she went out dissapointed

Vs

  She went out dissapointedly.

What is the difference in meaning of these two sentences


texts: Using the correct tense to establish a past context

texts:
Given the following sentence:

  Vivian _____________ computer lessons for very long so she wasn't sure how to use the Internet.

I put hadn't had in missing place but the answer was hadn't been having. Why is it so?


texts: "is great for playing chess and meeting friends" or "is great to play chess and meet with friends"?

texts:
I want to tell you that now is good weather for the next types of activities.
I guess I should use next variant:

The weather is great for playing chess and meeting friends.

Instead of:

The weather is excellent to play chess and meet with friends.

Both of them are present simple in the first case. I use gerunds because I express my preferences.
Am I right?


texts:
Imagine we are watching 10 pm evening news, the speaker is saying

  All students participated in march against smoking in the campus this morning.

  All the students participated in march against smoking in the campus this morning.

  All of the students participated in march against smoking in the campus this morning.

  All of students participated in march against smoking in the campus this morning.

I am pretty sure that the first one and the last one (example#4) are both incorrect, and I'll explain it later, how about the others?

What rules could be applied for these cases? Following part answers some of these questions.

All students

Cambridge Dictionary gives a rule for this situation

  When "all" refers to a whole class of people or things, we don’t use "the"

and gives this example

  All children love stories. (i.e. every child in the world)

Obviously, the students participated in march are not all the students in the world, example#1 is not appropriate.

digging

I searched the usage of 'all' , 'all the', 'all of the' a bit on ELL.

An ELL post 'all' , 'all the', 'all of the', and 'the whole' talks about the usage, only for time related, such as life, day, time, morning

Another post "All of the ...." or " All the ... "? talks about the usage for "students". The examples at the beginning of this post are adapted from there.

I guess the cases about "time" is different from "students", maybe due to countable or uncountable. But I am not sure and don't have a clear understanding.

All of students

as stated in Swan's PEU (shall we call this determiner rule)

  do not use all of if the noun has no determiner

This rule explains why example#4 is incorrect.

pronoun

A video lesson gives (shall we call this object pronoun rule)

  "of" is required when "all" is used with an object pronoun, such as, all of them, all of it, all of us, all of whom

post Why is there "of" here? justifies this rule

question

There are 2 rules in total, are there other rules for the usage of 'all' , 'all the', 'all of the'?

Please have this post focus on the situations relevant to students or other countable noun plural; the different between "all of the time" and "all the time" please see ("all of the time" vs. "all the time" when referring to situations);  other discussion related to time, please take a loot at here.


texts: Should there be an "a" before "ten years imprisonment"?

texts:
As part of a question I had on another SE site, I stumbled upon an article which has the following sentence:

  If a Georgia resident plans to travel elsewhere to obtain an abortion, she may be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment

Shouldn't the answer to punishable by what? be: by a 10 years imprisonment or by 10 years of imprisonment?


texts: A feeling that you missed something that you had to do(expression)

texts:
Let's say you got only an hour to finish your work. Then, that hour is now finished, but you feel that there is something you didn't do. Few minutes after that, you see that you have really missed a part of your work, and you say:

  ''So that explains why I felt that there is something I didn't do huh.''

Or is this more correct:

  ''So that explains why I've been feeling that there is something I didn't do huh.''

This is a common expression that will benefit ESLs also. Is there better/correct expression for this?


texts:
I have a question about the usage of "break" and "break up".  Suppose the context is police dealing terrorist organization.

  Police broke several major terrorist organizations.
  Police broke up several major terrorist organizations.

Dictionaries seem to suggest that both "break" and "break up" are okay in this context.  But what do native speakers think?  Is either one better?

Also, in a separate context of a meeting:

  The meeting broke at noon.
  The meeting broke up at noon.

Are both sentences 3 & 4 the same?  Or is one of them wrong?


texts: Some of you will have met me before vs Some of you met me before

texts:
I really do not get how "will" and past infinitive is used here. This comes from an example in a textbook, explaining usage of will in assumptions:

  Some of you will have met me before.

I wonder, why not just:

  Some of you (have) met me before.

And what about future perfect?

  Some of you will have met me (by tomorrow).

That is something entirely different (the original one pointed to the past with the "before" word).


texts: Meaning of the idiomatic "biscuits and gravy"

texts:
In the movie Line of Duty (about 45:30 in), a guy huge gets a weight thrown at him in a gym. Surprisingly not very bothered nor hurt, he says:

  "Biscuits and gravy, bitch!"

and then starts to fight the entered policeman.

What's the meaning and etymology of the expression? I've googled for it but got only a bunch of recipes...


texts:
I thought "it did not until now" is natural and not wrong, but my friend keeps saying it is wrong and it should be "it has not" because "did" as past simple tense and "until now" with the sense of present just don't work together. which is correct? and which one would you use in real life?
Example
"They told me it usually appears within a few hours on the student portal, but it did not until now"


texts:
I read a paragraph in this news website and I am not sure about the 3 -ing form of the verbs (failing, leading, catching) in the mid point of the paragraph.

  In October, the company was forced to stop production of its flagship smartphone model after failing to resolve battery problems leading to overheating and the devices catching fire.

The first question is that Is there some missing words between the word after and failing, like after it is failing to resolve battery problems are leading to overheating and the devices are catching fire.

The second question is that can I change the verbs to simple past tense? after failed to resolve battery problems leaded to overheating and the devices caught fire


texts:
My eyes blinked in unbelief as they beheld the domineering statue, the inscription "Power has no limits" on its face and "I came, saw, and conquered" on its feet.

Should there be a comma after face, or not?


texts:
I stumbled on this sentence in a book called "Going Solo", but it doesn't look grammatically correct to me:

  Only once did I see any elephant.

Please explain to me how does it work.


texts: Using singular vs. plural objects in a prepositional phrase

texts:
What are the grammatical differences between:

  He's good at driving cars.

and:

  He's good at driving a car.

Are there any differences in correctness or meaning, or times when you should use one form over the other?


texts: Usages of "in case" and "should" inversion

texts:
I'll be at my uncle's house in case you need to reach me.
I'll be at my uncle's house just in case you need to reach me.
I'll be at my uncle's house should you need to reach me.
I'll be at my uncle's house you should need to reach me.

Could you tell me what the difference between these is?
In addition, when can I invert "should" in such a sentence?
UPDATED: I am wondering what is the exact difference between the bold parts?


texts: Should articles be used before adjective after "or"?

texts:
Should both the articles be used here? Or one? Or none?

  1) You are using an invalid or an expired link.
  2) I need a small or a medium-size box, not large.
  3) Please take a green or a blue piece of paper.
  4) There are 3 pencils of 3 colors. Please take the red or the blue one.


texts: What is the meaning of "there's just no talking to you sometimes"?

texts:
In Crime/Drama movie Drugstore Cowboy, Rick and Nadine have some conversation.
Nadine put the hat on the bed.

  Nadine: You're just goin' out with them tonight. When you come back,
  I'll show all of you.

  Rick: When I come back, I don't want to see that hat on the bed. All
  right, honey? You know, Nadine, there's just no talking to you
  sometimes.


texts: "Try another time" vs. "Try at another time"

texts:
Can I use both, and/or is there a difference in meaning?

Try another time.
Try at another time.


texts: He said he "had played"/"played" golf yesterday

texts:
What is the difference when using the past simple and the past perfect tense, in this sentence?

He said he had played golf yesterday.
He said he played golf yesterday.


texts:
His beautiful, yet messy and long hair was a thing to see.

  His beautiful, yet messy, and long hair was a thing to see.

I am not sure if it takes a comma, but I think there are arguments to be made for both sentences. I am not sure if one of them is grammatically incorrect.


texts: What does the phrase "grooving down the street" mean here?

texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "grooving down the street" in the following sentence from the description of the game Giant Dancing Plushies:

Swipe along with melodious beats to keep massive giant teddy bears and
cute bunnies grooving down the street.

I know the lexical meanings of the word "groove" but I am not sure which of them fits here.
Here is a brief description of the game from 148 Apps:

Giant Dancing Plushies is a game where you control building-sized
stuffed animals as they strut down the street, destroying cars, tanks,
and more. You can move these giant animals one step at a time, but the
game challenges you to do it to the beat of either the in-game
soundtrack or whatever music you might be listening to at the time.


texts:
"Swimming is something I like to do"
I saw this posted on a forum for grammar, which stated that swimming is the verb and I is the subject. As the verb comes before the subject it is therefore passive.
I cannot wrap my head around this, to me, Swimming is the subject of the verb "is". I is the subject of the verb "like".
Could anyone clarify and write the sentence in the active form (assuming it is passive).


texts: Is "I don't like girls smoking" a correct sentence?

texts:
I have two questions:

1. To express the same meaning as

  "I don't like girls who smoke."

can I say

  "I don't like girls smoking."?

It sounds kind of odd to me but I think it is not wrong.

2. To express the same meaning as

  "She is a girl who smokes."

can I say

  "She is a girl smoking."?

This one sounds somewhat odd to me too.

UPDATE: In some kinds of sentences, instead of pronouns like "who", "which" and "that", we can use the continuous form. So what I am asking is: Instead of using the version with "who", can I just use the continuous form in those sentences I gave.

An example of what I mean:
You can say "I love her face smiling at me every morning" instead of "I love her face that (which) smiles at me every morning"
Another example:
Let's say a friend of yours is at your apartment, and you are talking about a bar with him. In that context, you can say "I like the girl singing at that bar." for meaning "I like the girl who sings at that bar." as far as I know.


texts: Definition of will concerning about habits

texts:
Consider:

She'll listen to music, alone in her room, for hours.
Sulphuric acid will dissolve most metals.

This is an example from OALD. The 8th definition for will is used for talking about habits.
And another example is offered, which is from Practical English Usage.
But if I said

She often listens to music, alone in her room, for hours.
Sulphuric acid dissolves most metals.

Would this bring any difference?
In what situation is will used in this sense?


texts: I was getting worried thinking whether you had got/have got/got home safe

texts:
Suppose it's the present day, and someone you know got home a really late than they were supposed to.
So, which of the following sentences do you use?

  A. I was getting worried thinking whether you had got home safe.

  B. I was getting worried thinking whether you have got home safe.

  C. I was getting worried thinking whether you got home safe.

Meaning wise, what's the difference between the above sentences?
And here, the speaker is talking about the present.


texts: Meaning of the verb "read" in various tenses

texts:
Have you already read the book? Yes, I have already read the book.

Does it mean that the person have read the entire/whole book to the end? Or it is not necessary and generally depends on context?

Did you read the book? Yes, I did.

As far as I guess it usually means "read entire the book" whereas "I read a part of the book" usually can be expressed by the past continouse tense: "I was reading the book". Am I right?

Haven't you read the book, yet? Yes, I haven't read the book.

In contrast to the first sentence, which implies the two meanings, the last sentence defintely means that I even didn't "open" the book. Because if I read a part of the book then I have read a book of course.


texts:
Usually people say, "Which is your favourite show?" and "Which color is this?"

But some people also say, "What is your favourite show?" and, "What color is this?"

Can you tell me what is the usage of which and what is the usage of what? Is which only used when we give some choice or not?


texts: Use of Past Perfect in Leo Rosten's "O Kaplan! My Kaplan!"

texts:
An excerpt from Leo Rosten's "O Kaplan! My Kaplan!":

"Excellent... And now, class, let me take one moment to note that there are certain exceptions-"
Groans instantly greeted the ominous 'exceptions'. The beginners' grade had long ago learned to fear - nay, loathe - the Exception to the Rule. It was the bane of their learning, a snake in the garden of perception. (Mr. Krout, the seniour instructor in the ANSPA, once enlivened a faculty meeting by declaring that 'the very bete noir of English is the skulking multitude of Exceptions to the Rule!' How Mr. Parkhill had admired the way Mr. Krout had put that! He admired it almost as much as he admired Mr. Robinson, the school principal, for responding: 'I heartily agree, Mr. Krout. There are as many exceptions to the rule in English as there were thieves in Baghdad!' Who could forget such a simile? 'But we cannot change the rules of grammar - nor, if I may say so, can we exile all the exceptions... Carry on! That is what we all must do. Carry on!' If there was one quality Mr. Parkhill had inherited from his ancestors, it was the capacity to carry on.)

Why does this Past Perfect appear suddenly and suddenly end? The previous sentence is cast in Simple Past (not "had enlivened"). The next sentence carries on in Simple Past too, in spite of the fact that it tells about the same feeling of admiration.
The sentence stands out from the surrounding parts of the passage by being cast in a "deeper" past. But how can it be "deeper" in the past than the sentence with "once enlivened"?


texts: Can we use "keep bugging" with unanimated things or abstracts?

texts:
The phrase "keep bugging" is usually used to describe "when somebody is bothering or annoying someone". But what if it's not somebody but something that does that?

That idea I told you of keeps bugging me in my sleep.
The sound of the generator keeps bugging me every night.
This memory keeps constantly bugging me every day.

Can we use it that way?


texts:
I'm not sure if I should use 'was' or 'is' with born. This is what I understand:

Not everyone is born equal.
Everyone is born with limitations.

1 and 2 are general statements talking about everyone in the world.

I wasn't/we weren't born with what it takes.= Talks about a single person or a particular group of people. You can't say 'I am not born' since the process of being born is already over.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.


texts:
An idiom meaning getting pushed back or getting bullied or a similar meaning and containing the word "foot"?
Is there a meaning like that? Standing on a single foot? It's something like it, but I don't remember.


texts:
I'd rather do it myself than that my subordinate should do it.

What is this "should"? Is this the same as would as in subjunctive?


texts:
How do you like your bread made?

  How do your like your bread done?

Does the first sentence have any meaning?

I'm confused what is better to go with the reply "Medium", "Well done”, etc.

Sometimes I hear that "How do you like your bread is made", is that my mishearing?

Can I say “How do you like your food is made?" (as street cooks in my country, who cook for customers as what they order)


texts:
They are debating about meaning of this sentence here(Japanese):

  The soup is a frequent meal.

I don't know the meaning of frequent meal. So I tried to search it for Wikitionary, but I couldn't find it.

What does frequent meal mean? Or is it incorrect?

They almost suppose 'a frequent meal' means:

  A food what's provided

...and the other user says it's an antonym of emergency food.


texts:
I could not find a proper definition for mash from the song "Monster mash". I assume it does not refer to mashed potatos. Maybe it's some kind of a dance. The lyrics is

  For my monster from his slab began to rise

  And suddenly to my surprise

  He did the mash

  He did the monster mash


texts:
Should "I" (first person pronoun) always be used in uppercase, or does it depend on situation (uppercase in the first word of a sentence)?

And why are other pronouns not capitalized?


texts:
If a kid takes something from the kitchen or the fridge and eats it without their parent's permission and avoiding being noticed, can we use the verb 'sneak' for this?
Can we say:

The boy is sneaking the corns.

Like in the picture


texts:
Which one of the following is correct?

The report has been completed. Copies have been filed in the cabinet
The report is completed.  Copies are filed in the cabinet
The report has been completed and copies have been filed in the cabinet.


texts: Does "whenever convenient" sound natural or not?

texts:
Does whenever convenient sound natural to you in the following sentence?

  Please call my secretary to arrange a meeting this afternoon, or whenever convenient to you.

Does the sentence sound natural to you?


texts:
"I was walking down the street this morning when I saw the accident"
If this is changed into indirect speech

"He told Sam he had been walking down…"

does the part “when I saw the accident” change into indirect speech as well or does it stay the same?


texts: How to distinguish the meaning of 'come from' in a sentence?

texts:
I am confused about the meaning of the below question

  Where do you come from?

When a person asks this question are they asking about where I originally come from (say from Brazil), or are they simply asking where I come from that specific day (say a suburb around the city)?


texts: past tense or present perfect or present perfect continuous?

texts:
What should I say between these sentences?

  (1) I have eaten three bowls of noodles this morning.

Or

  (2) I have been eating three bowls of noodles this morning.

Or

  (3) I ate three bowls of noodles this morning.

I think that (1) & (2) talk about the unfinished action and we are still in the morning. Moreover, (1) means that we ate three bowls of noodles already and we are not eating when we speak whereas (2) indicates that we ate three bowls of noodles and we're still eating another bowl. And (3) talks about the finished action in the morning and we are in the afternoon.

Are my ideas correct? Please help me figure out the wrong things.

Thanks so much!


texts: Questions about lyrics found in the song "As Long As You Love Me"

texts:
Source.

  We don't need no wings to fly (here).

It means we indeed need wings to fly.

  But hey now,don't know girl we both know what to do. (here)


texts: When to use "and" in a noun phrase with multiple modifiers

texts:
Is the phrase "my big blue eyes" correct?

If the words big and blue are describing eyes, shouldn't there be an "and" in-between the two?

When is it mandatory to use "and?"


texts: What is the opposite of minor if not major?

texts:
We've got a name of a component in our software that's called minor (or, in computer English: IsCustomerMinor). We'd like to turn the logic around and refer to the case as the opposite, meaning not being a minor.

After some googling I've only come up with unrelated words as magisterial and peremptory, which are not really what we're looking for. The closest one was major but I have never heard that being used as referral to ones age.

Is the following sentence okay? If not, what work should be used instead?

  It's her decision now - she's not a minor anymore; she's a major as of last month, in fact.


texts:
(The situation: The Town Council is considering to demolish the old city park.)
Which of the following questions is "more correct"?

What would happened if this park was demolished?
What would have happened if this park had been demolished?

I am not sure.


texts: Difference between "Why you say" and "Why did you say" in spoken language

texts:
For example

  Why you say I am idiot?

  Why did you say I am idiot?

Will Sentence 1 be a natural way to speak? Any grammar mistakes in Sentence 1?


texts: Is "I play tennis for thirty minutes every Monday." a correct sentence?

texts:
I play tennis for thirty minutes every Monday.
I spend thirty minutes playing tennis every Monday.

Which one is correct and more natural?

An English teacher had her students make a weekly exercise plan. I heard she taught her students the first sentence, and that makes me confused, cuz I thought "for+time" is usually in a present perfect form.
Like...I've played tennis for thirty minutes.


texts:
I read a sentence I do not comprehend:

  Then, in the midseason promo… it is revealed that come March 9, when Season 3B opens, Lost looker Rebecca Mader will be playing… the Wicked Witch of the West!Source: Once Upon a Time Midseason Finale Recap

What exactly does the word “that” mean in this sentence?


texts:
People like to say Segway was a flop, but we`re still here.

What does "we're still here" mean in this context? Does it mean "we are successful now" or "we still have a strong will to make it"?


texts:
There is a sentence:

  This is the pen which is convenient.

Is it a proper sentence if, for instance, the listener understands I mean the pens in the room, but I didn't mention the pens before? Which meanings can it have:

This is the only pen in the universe which is convenient?
This is the only pen in the room which is convenient?
This is the pen in the room, which is convenient and there can be other convenient in the room as well?
This is one of the convenient pens in the universe?


texts: Is The Simple Predicate (Verb) Sinking Or Colliding?

texts:
The sinking of the ship after it collided with an iceberg resulted in many safety reforms.

What is the simple predicate? Is it Sinking? Or is it colliding?


texts:
I know  we can say:

The plane takes off at 6:40 p.m.(expressing future)

But can I say:

The plane takes off at 6:40 p.m. when everything is ready.

Or I should put "will" here

The plane will take off at 6:40p.m. when everything is ready.

Thanks so much!


texts:
I saw this sentence
For the past 2 months , animal trainer Mark Vette _____has been teaching___three dogs to drive.
Is it possible to say was teaching instead of  has been teaching.
Thanks in advance!


texts:
Here is a piece of text:

  Since Dapper has been in production and operating at large scale for
  years now, we decided it would be most appropriate to focus this paper
  on what Dapper’s deployment has taught us, how our design decisions
  played out, and in what ways it has been most useful. The value of
  Dapper as a platform for  XXX development of performance analysis
  tools, as much as a monitoring tool in itself, is one of a few
  unexpected outcomes we can identify in a retrospective assessment.

Which articles would you place before two words in bold (development and retrospective assessment)?

Do not they mean/imply particular and very specific development (that has led to the developing of specific and well-known tools)? Is so, should not the development be there?

On the other hand, does not a retrospective assessment mean literally just any retrospective assessment ever made by anyone?


texts: There's a thing for measuring a child's height. What is it called in English?

texts:
I'm not sure whether this is a growth chart, height chart or height measurement.
Its photo is at this website.


texts:
Which is closer to the right transcription of the word "Universe"?

junɪvers or junɪvr̩s

  Do we actually pronounce the e that is before the r.

In other words, do we say vrse or v'e'rse


texts:
What's the idiomatic adjective for the noun "queue"?

  I waited there in a very long queue.

or

  I waited there in a very big queue.

Or maybe something else?


texts: What word do I use for the work universities are required to do?

texts:
When I want to talk in general terms about the work that a university is required to do (basically creating and teaching courses and programmes), what word do I use? Do I talk about the university's commission? Or their assignment? Or their task? Or what?
I need it in the following sentence:

Due to the erratic nature of our [requested word], it is difficult to plan ahead.

At first, I was thinking about simply using work here, but that doesn't work because it's not the work as such that is erratic, but rather the way we are requested to first come up with lots of new courses, then slow down, then cater for some new area of interest and so on. That is, it's the commision (if, indeed, that is the right word to use) that is erratic, not the work as such. Oh, I do hope someone understands what I'm on about here...


texts: Having done something,... vs Doing something,

texts:
Do these two sentences mean the same thing? If not, please elaborate.

  Growing up in California, I experienced life that was different than most people in Mexico.

  Having grown up in California, I experienced life different than most people in Mexico.


texts: Acknowledging someone had an impact on your choice of career

texts:
In the acknowledgements section of my thesis, I just wrote:

  I would like to thank my supervisor X [...]. To a large extent, it is to his credit that I found my way into the field of Y and I am very grateful for it.

It is to his credit does not sound right to me, but I cannot seem to find a better expression. What I am trying to say is that he is responsible for me getting into the field, or that it is his fault - but it should sound much more positive of course.

Is there a better phrase for what I am trying to say?


texts: Why in this sentence the writer didn't add articles before British?

texts:
I am reading a story and I noticed that the writer didn't add any article before British and English. For example:

He can become British, perhaps; he can never become truly English.


texts:
I think that "I leave her" could have two meanings:

  I cause her to leave.
  I cause her to be left.

I think that sentence #1 is less common, but a valid interpretation. Am I correct?


texts:
This year’s target is reducing loss of life.

In the context, it means to reduce fatalities. In my opinion, since there are many lives invovled, the above sentence should be worded like this:

  This year’s target is reducing loss of lives.

Am I right, or more possibly wrong?


texts: Is "_NOUN_ who each _VERB_" grammatically correct?

texts:
I just came across the following sentence;

  A company with 1,000 employees who each send eight e-mail messages per workday would produce two million messages per year.

where who each send sounds incorrect. "who each send" (used in Google-Books)

After I tried to compare "who each send", and "who all send" on Google-Ngrams, no ngram was found for the first one. So, is it grammatical?


texts:
Door entry systems place addition barriers for all those with communication difficulties none more so than for Laryngectomees.

(You can find this sentence on the page below: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmworpen/616/616we96.htm)
Q1. Why is there no verb of the subject 'none' and how to interpret 'none more so than ~'?
Q2. In this sentence, there is only a prepositional phrase after a conjunction (or preposition) 'than'.
Is it possible to place only a prepositional phrase after a preposition or a conjunction?


texts:
In the following sentence

  Agreeably to the terms of the settlement, we herewith enclose our check for Rs 10000.

In this sentence is agreeably modifying the adverb herewith?

Can I write it in the following way?

  Agreeable to the terms of the settlement, we here with enclose our check for Rs 10000.

In the second sentence the clause agreeable to the terms of the settlement is used as infinitive that is modifying the pronoun we

But I am not quite sure if my sentence is correct.


texts: In ‘have to’, does ‘to’ have the obligation meaning?

texts:
When I come upon this sentence: I have to do something, I thought have to of it acts like a phrase, where the meaning is having an obligation. And have to is an auxiliary verb like must. But after bring its question and negative sentence: do I have to do something?, I don’t have to do something, something was wrong, I thought, and looked up CGEL. They say have is not an auxiliary but a catenative verb that takes non-finite complement.

From all this, I get the question: which one, have or to, has the meaning of the obligation? From OLD (to as an infinitive marker,#7), to has the obligation meaning when it gets along with be verb. Then is it still valid that in have to to has the obligation meaning?


texts: What does "idol" indicate in "My older sister was a guitar buff and my idol when I was growing up"?

texts:
(A question from an ACT English test ) My older sister was a guitar buff and my idol when I was growing up. She would teach me songs on her acoustic guitar now and then after school and on long family road trips to the beach. In those moments, my sister and I were the closest we've ever been. And my guitar itself felt like, well, family.

I don't think any of these options will fit, since "my idol" only indicates that the author admired his sister


texts: Are sun glasses and sunglasses both correct?

texts: My questions are: the words sun glasses mean the same as sunglasses? And both are grammatically correct? And both are still in use?


texts: Should 'to be' be involved or it's optional?

texts:
Context:

  "The nervous system was so complex and highly developed as to leave Lake aghast. Though excessively primitive and archaic in some respects, the thing had a set of ganglial centres and connectives arguing the very extremes of specialised development. Its five-lobed brain was surprisingly advanced; and there were signs of a sensory equipment, served in part through the wiry cilia of the head, involving factors alien to any other terrestrial organism."

  (Source)

I think that 'to be' verb should be involved:

  Factors ARE alien to any other terrestrial organism

Oxford's elaboration of the definition (2.Unfamiliar and disturbing or distasteful)

Questions:

Why didn't the author use 'to be' verb in the sentence?
If it's optional- could you please explain these options to me?


texts: Second "s" in names that ends with the s

texts:
Well, it's one particular name from One-Punch Man, Genos.
Sometimes i see it's written as Geno's arm/body parts or something along the line, but not the Genos's arm/body parts.
Where did second s go?


texts:
Deloris, new Nun student, taking music classes to Nuns instead of Mary Lazarus, Music teacher & also Nun. so Deloris is saying each Nun should listen to other Nun while singing choir. So Mary Lazarus, who is standing beside them, reacted.

  Deloris: You must listen to each other if you're going to be a group.

  Mary Lazarus: I knew that.

  Deloris: Mary Lazarus, as soon as I walked in the door,  I knew that
  you knew this. Now, you're somebody who's into hard work and
  discipline, aren't you?

  Mary Lazarus: Of course, I'm a nun. Four popes now.

  Deloris: Four? Wow


texts: What does "so… how about them hats" mean?

texts: I saw this question on another SE site, What is meant by "them hats" in this context? I hear the use of "them [word]" many times, does it mean like their or these? or what exactly?


texts: Difference between 'can we go there' and 'can we go over there'?

texts:
English is not my first language. I am confused between

  Can we go there?

and

  Can we go over there?

According to a Google Translate translation of both, the sentences mean the same. So why should one ever use 'over'?


texts: Is it correct to say "see you" when not really seeing the person?

texts:
I usually use the expression "see you" to indicate something like "until next time", but the expression "see you" actually contains a verb "see" which should imply, at least that's why I think, that I'm currently seeing the person, since "see you" could be a shorthand for "see you around", "see you next time", even though these are just guesses.

Is it correct to say "see you" when not really seeing the person, for example when you're leaving a chat or writing an e-mail? Would there be a more appropriate expression for these situations?


texts: When and why are ordinal numbers in English preceded with indefinite, not definite, articles?

texts:
I used to think that ordinal numbers automatically go with 'the'. However, real examples I've come across indicate that it's not always the case. Please help me figure it out.

"We’re in the first wave. Let’s get out of the first wave before you have a second wave."
[...]
But Besser said semantics matter, because saying a first wave has passed may give people a false sense that the worst is over.

(from here)


texts:
Lo was enraged by all this - called me a lousy crook and worse - and I
  would probably have lost my temper had I not soon discovered, to my
  sweetest relief, that what really angered her was my depriving her not
  of a specific satisfaction but of a general right. I was impinging,
  you see, on the conventional program, the stock pastimes, the “things
  that are done,” the routine of youth; for there is nothing more
  conservative than a child, especially a girl-child, be she the
  most auburn and russet, the most mythopoeic nymphet in October’s
  orchard-haze. (Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov)

For what reason is there root-verb be?: It seems to denote a 'concessive meaning,' but I don't get why.


texts: The use or omission of commas round relative clauses

texts:
In Longman English Grammar Practice, there is a practice question in which you would say what the sentences mean with and without commas.

  My brother who is in Canada is an architect.

Without commas: I have another brother or other
brothers somewhere else.

With commas: I have only one brother.

I am perplexed by this. How do you come to this answer? I thought the whole use of commas in this instance was to provide additional, unnecessary information.
If there are commas used, then it means that him living in Canada is just  additional information that has no relation to him being an architect. If commas are not used, then him living in Canada is important for him being an architect. Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts:
For example, is the following sentence correct?
"Be aware that if/once you cheat, I'll cut your exam paper, and your mark will be zero."
Or, should I say, "If/Once you cheat, be aware that I'll cut your exam paper, and your mark will be zero."?


texts: Question about "neighbors trouble spots" grammar?

texts:
I am currently reading this article, and I came across this line,

  Turkey, which neighbors trouble spots such as Syria, Iraq and Iran, has long sought to address shortcomings concerning its air defenses.

I would like to ask you especially on the bold part.

Are they respectively noun adjective?

Or do I need to interpret it as "neighbors, (such as Syria, Iraq, and Iran) that trouble spots."

But does the "trouble" sport by itself?

Or does it mean "which neighbors" are "trouble spots"? In that case, the pronoun "whose" might be better?


texts: What does the word "chemistry" really mean here?

texts:
What I want: that someone to be my best friend, to share adventures,
  travel and make memories with, and play N64 and order pizza with on a
  rainy weekend. Chemistry is kind of important :)

  What do you want?

What does she mean by saying chemistry ?


texts: Which one is correct: "in the fierce fighting of the war" or "in the fierce fighting in the war"?

texts:
Could you tell me which preposition I use in the follwing sentences: of or in?

One of my grandparents fell in the fierce fighting of/in World War Two.

What I am trying to say is that my grandfather fell during some fighting in/of the war not specific battle.


texts:
The Source

  With his Savile Row suit, crimson necktie, and plentiful gray locks, he cut a rather elegant if dubious figure, a look he described as dignified depravity.

I have two questions regard to the text above:

1) what is the meaning and usage of if in the text?
2) I cannot understand the context of cut a rather elegant if dubious figure, a look...

  did he cut a figure or look, or look is an attributive noun modifying the word “figure”?

The dictionary defines the phrase as:

Cut a figure
To convey a particular image. An adjective is often used between "a" and "figure." As the dog ran around while covered in a blanket, he cut a funny figure that entertained the kids.


texts: Is past perfect with "all night" correct?

texts:
Is this question correct?

  "They had been watching TV all evening yesterday."

Or do we use it with past continuous?

  "They were watching TV all evening yesterday."

My teacher said that the latter is the right answer.

Help, please?


texts:
A dun-colored jeep drove up to the stone marker and stopped. It was followed by a strange, tread-equipped vehicle that moved much more slowly. There were toy-sized radar dishes mounted on the front and back of this halftrack. Two soldiers lounged on its upper deck, and Garraty felt a chill in his belly when he looked at them. They were carrying army-type heavy=caliber carbine rifles.
The long walk.

I think 'tread' here means "The part of a wheel or tire that makes contact with the road or rails.". But I'm not sure what "tread-equipped vehicle" really is or looks like. Any ideas?


texts:
I said “ my arm aches me “ and My teacher said “the arm sores not aches “
So both of the words describe illness , what is the wrong with using arm ache ?


texts: If someone has spilt coffee over my couch, can I say "who has been spilling coffee over my couch?!", using the present perfect continuous to complain?


texts:
Which of the follows sentences sounds natural to you as an English speaker? Are both the sentences correct? And should I use plural or singular nouns after "no"?

Here are the sentences:

No man is better than a woman when it comes to maintaining relationships.

(or)

No men are better than women when it comes to maintaining relationships.

My grammar book says "no" can be used with both singular and plural nouns, but I am not sure in this case and have some doubts about using plural nouns after "no".


texts: What's the kitten's and puppy's sound called?

texts: Dogs bark but what do kittens and puppies do?


texts: Convey that you have an iron will in a cover letter

texts:
I am currently helping a friend translating his cover letter, and I would like to know what would be the best word/expression to use to convey that you have an iron will:

  It is equipped with an iron will that I wish to join your company

Here, equipped doesn't feel natural at all. Maybe armed would be better? Or another expression altogether?

Google searches didn't return a specific colloquial use for it, so I am not sure what to use. Just as a note, the context is a cover letter (so rather stern vocabulary).


texts: The meaning of “that” in “. . . and that enabling it does . . .”

texts:
I'm not sure about the meaning of the word “that” in this paragraph:

  TruPrevent behavior-based malware detection was once a big selling
  point for Panda, so I was somewhat surprised to find it turned off by
  default. My Panda contact explained that advances in other technology
  have made TruPrevent less necessary, and that enabling it does
  consume a bit more of the system's resources.
  Source: PC Mag, Panda Antivirus Pro 2014

I guess “and that” can be replaced with “and therefore” or “and consequently” or “and so”. Am I right? Is the word “that” somehow related to grammar in this case?


texts:
Please help me change the voice of the following sentence:

I will finish the job by the end of this week.

My answer is:

The job will be finished by me by the end of this week.

However, I am debating if 'by me' is redundant. That is:

The job will be finished by the end of this week.


texts: Are the reflexive pronouns direct or indirect?

texts:
Are the reflexive pronouns direct or indirect ? For example, consider this sentence:
I made myself a pizza

here "myself" is an indirect or indirect object ?

Also does the meaning change if I make it like this(and also tell me what is "myself" in the sentence, direct or an indirect object ?):
I made a pizza myself


texts:
I want to know how to differentiate between adverb and adjective like in this sentences:

1."He believes in working hard".

2."He is hard working man".

In both cases, "working" is a gerund, which is used like a noun, but I think in the first case, "hard" is an adverb and in the second case it's an adjective.


texts:
-Thinking about the school festival's concert makes me happy
-You're so pure

What does "pure" means when we talk about people and what it means in this context?


texts:
The original sentence:

  In our day fish are caught in the sea and brought to us by rail and
  lorry; only the angler still thinks fresh-water fish important, and
  pollution of rivers drives him into smaller and smaller reaches in
  which to practise his sport.

My question is on "in which." Is "which" a relative pronoun here? Is it an elided version of something like below? Or it suffices itself?

  In our day fish are caught in the sea and brought to us by rail and
  lorry; only the angler still thinks fresh-water fish important, and
  pollution of rivers drives him into smaller and smaller reaches in
  which [he is able] to practise his sport.


texts: What is a decent way to say an approximate time?

texts:
I will arrive at 5 pm.

I don't know the exactly time I will arrive. So, I could say

  I will arrive roughtly at 5 pm.

  I will arrive almost at 5 pm.

That is my assumption. What is a good saying?


texts: ones and zeros eight-across -- "eight-across"?

texts:
Source: CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, 9th Edition (Exam 220-901 & 220-902) by Mike Meyers (2016)

Example:

  Computers need some other device that takes copies of programs from the hard drive and then sends them, one line at a time, to the CPU quickly enough to keep up with its demands. Because each line of code is nothing more than a pattern of eight ones and zeros, any device that can store ones and zeros eight-across will do. Devices that in any way hold ones and zeros that the CPU accesses are known generically as memory.

How do you understand that? And why do you need a hyphen there?


texts:
I have a simple thing, but it confused me.

  The nature of convergences of topological relations of segment adjacencies can be derived from graphs.

I want to know whether the subject of the above sentence is singular or plural, as I am now confused and feeling it might be plural.  Any comments?


texts: Can we use "would have" conditional with the past simple tense or we should only use "would have" with the past perfect tense

texts:
I always use would have with the past perfect tense to describe an unreal condition for the past time being in the present.

  If I had called you we would have gone for a movie last night.

  If you had come to my home we would have watched the movie.

And I always use would with the past simple tense to describe an unreal condition for the present time being in the present.

  If you called me we would go for a movie.

  if you come to my home we would watch a movie.

My question is, can we use would have with the past simple tense to describe an unreal condition for the past time being in the present?

  If you called me we would have gone for a movie.

I have asked this question because I had read (I have also seen it a lot) would have with the past simple tense in a novel (Bad for You):

  Walking into the restaurant, I immediately spotted Trisha. Her blond
  hair and gorgeous face were hard to miss. She waved at me, and I
  explained to the hostess that I was meeting a friend before walking
  over there.

  “You came,” she said, smiling brightly at me as if she thought I
  wouldn’t have shown up. I found it hard to believe people ever turned
  her down. Male or female.


texts: Can I use "here" as depicted in the question?

texts:
I can write a simple sentence such as:

  A hotel is there in the middle of the Thor desert in India.

Slightly rearranging I can write:

  There is a hotel in the middle of the Thor desert in India.

As far as I can see both of them are correct. Now can I use as extra "here", if the speaker is from  a nearby area of the desert, in the sentence as used in the following:

  There is a hotel here in the middle of the Thor desert in India.

Is using here making sense and is it grammatical as well?

Also will it make more sense if I add "situated" like There is a hotel situated in the middle of the Thor desert in India. ?


texts: How 'fondly' is different than 'fondle'?

texts:
One of my colleagues wrote:

  Lord Ganesh is the deity remembered fondly before initiating evry auspicious occasion.

An alarm rang in my mind because I know the word 'fondle'.

To my surprise, it is like this:

  fondle (v): to touch and move your hand gently over somebody/something, especially in a sexual way, or in order to show love (OALD)

But, the same dictionary says...

  fondly (adv): in a way that shows great affection

Now, when it comes to worship some idol (of course, it has a lot of respect in it), the verb and the adverb's meaning changes drastically.

Question: the adverb fondly is hailing from the verb fondle but it seems the meanings are different. Does fondly include sensuality/sexuality/physical affection *(which should not be the case in worshiping someone)?


texts: Do we have to use "to-infinitive" just after a noun?

texts:
In such a conversation, is the sentence with "*" wrong?

  Many people in Athens had time to get away from the fire, but, to save their children, they didn't have any time.

Do you think that the part "to save their children" must be next to "any time" like in the following sentence?

  Many people in Athens had time to get away from the fire, but, they didn't have any time to save their children.

I think that the first sentence can be told in order to emphasize the action "to save their children".

What do you think?


texts: “My friend’s actual job involves a lot of work” or “The actual job of my friend involves a lot of work”

texts:
These two sentences have same meaning.
But my question is which one of them is more correct?


texts: What does it mean "Don't go ...ing something"?

texts:
Could anybody help me to understand a line from "Lay All Your Love On Me" by ABBA?

  I wasn't jealous before we met
  Now every woman I see is a potential threat
  And I'm possessive, it isn't nice
  You've heard me saying that smoking was my only vice
  But now it isn't true
  Now everything is new
  And all I've learned has overturned
  I beg of you

  Don't go wasting your emotion
  Lay all your love on me

  (LyricFind)

What the difference with "Don't waste your emotion"?


texts: Why "wait" is used instead of "have waited"?

texts:
Why wait is used in the following text instead of have waited?

  Ben: Aw, I can’t believe it. I wait all school year to go on this
  trip, and now the queen of cooties is along for the ride.

  Gwen: Hey, I
  had my own vacation already all planned out, too, you know. (pulls out
  her schedule) Each activity is color-coded so I never do the same
  thing two days in a row. Now, I’m stuck with my geekazoid cousin going
  camping for three months.

  Excerpt from And Then There Were Alternate 10 (a Ben 10 fan fiction)


texts: an unusual "too" at the end of a sentence

texts:
x^2=25

What is the variable equal too?

I would expect here "to" like this, but instead of it, it's "too".

That makes me confused.

What a role does it play here?

A person who told me this is a New Zealander


texts: Does adjective complement of the object imply event already happened?

texts:
North Korea hates me, and wants me dead.
  (Correspondent Report, Aussie ABC)

Does "wants me dead" mean "wants that I’ve already died and not existed"? If the sentence is rewritten as "wants me to die," does it mean "wants me to die at any time from now"?


texts: Equality of continuous and perfect tenses (in a certain context)

texts:
Would they be both correct and equal in the same context (just to mention the fact) if I said TODAY:

  (1)It has been raining all day.

  (2)It is raining all day.

Would they be both correct and equal in the same context (just to mention the fact) if I said TOMORROW (about today):

  (3)It had been raining all day yesterday.

  (4)It was raining all day yesterday.


texts:
I've been seeing nonetheless used next to but. For example:

"... smaller but nonetheless important research programs." (From Merriam Webster).

There are possible risks, but nonetheless, we feel it’s a sound investment. (from Cambridge Dictionary)

My understanding is that "but" and "nonetheless" are synonymous and mean the same thing, although I'm not quite sure they mean the same thing in the above sentences.
Does the following example work?

She is sad but nonetheless beautiful

How do I analyse the above sentences, please? Do "but" and "nonetheless" have different meanings in these sentences? I would also appreciate if someone told me how I would punctuate sentences having "but" and "nonetheless" used like that.


texts: Do we say "People are cheering" to express people lift up their glasses to drink?

texts:
cheers (exclamation): a word that people say to each other as they lift up their glasses to drink

cheers is an exclamation, but

can we use it to express people lift up their glasses to drink?

For example, "People are cheering"?


texts: Does healthy or strong go first when used together?

texts:
He is a strong healthy man.

  He is a healthy strong man.

Which is the correct answer and why?


texts:
I have run into an intransitive form of “to take” that is not documented in any of these sources: Oxford Dictionary, Webster Collegiate, www.linguee.fr :

  At this point she was persuaded that what she needed was a week-end with Peter. He took against her in a big way: [next follows a quotation where Peter explains he does not believe a single word what she says.]

I cannot make heads or tails of it.


texts: Why should I use will not, instead of do not?

texts:
I just want to ask which one is correct.

Re-ordered playlist contents do not display in the correct order.
Re-ordered playlist contents will not display the correct order.

I have a colleague who is working on his project that he needs to document, I think, the bugs a system has. One of it is the question I am asking right now, he used "do not", instead of "will not" which I recommend. I know it is more right if he uses will not, but I was not able to explain to him why he has to use "will not".


texts: what's the meaning of "Per capita basis"?

texts:
So yesterday Donald Trump said in a press conference that "areas of our country that have been hotspots have done much more testing on a per capita basis than South Korea."
I know that Per Capita means per person but what I don't understand is what's the meaning, when it's followed by basis like this statement here.


texts: What is the difference between what's up and how are you?

texts:
When should I say what's up and when should I say how are you?

Is it about the person's age or the extent of my knowledge of the person?


texts:
What does this mean if a standing comedian says

I can't have you guys being a.. umm.. English audience and going "Oh hmm hmm"

This is from 3:30 of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIE1xkF8RZE

I know he's asking the audience to laugh when they want to laugh.

But "have you being an English audience" sounds completely unfamiliar.

Is this grammatical or at least is this how natives use English?


texts:
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) listening test involves a 5-minute-long lecture on a variety of subjects and topics. In The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test, it states the aim of the listening section is to test whether you can get the important details right, not all the details right.

My question is: How do I discern important details from unimportant ones in the TOEFL listening test? To be more specific, What are the logic traits or language context of important details?

For example, whenever the professor refers to previous knowledge on a certain topic, details are not important, because the questions are usually involved with what the professor implies by mentioning previous knowledge, or the rhetorical meaning of it.


texts:
There are both sentences from the internet. Are they the same? Or the first one is not correct because "happen" isn't an adjective, only a verb.

  Nothing was happen.

vs

  Nothing happened.

TIA


texts:
What are the similarities and differences? OLD exemplifies but doesn't contrast them:

  5 [transitive, intransitive] to argue in support of somebody/something
  [5.1.] plead something
  [Example:] She appeared on television to plead the cause of political prisoners everywhere.
  [5.2.] plead for somebody/something
  [Example:] The United Nations has pleaded for a halt to the bombing.

What would happen if 5.1 used plead for, and 5.2 plead?
Also, why does plead for a stay prevail over plead a stay?


texts: 'How many people came to your party?' or 'How many people did come to your party?' is correct

texts: I don't understand why question 'How many people came to your party?' is correct instead of 'How many people did come to your party?'. Is it any grammar rule?


texts: What is the difference between breath and breathe? When to use breath and breathe?

texts: These two words really confuse me all the time even though I want to use them properly but I can't choose one cause I don't know when to use breath and breathe.


texts:
I was wondering if I may use this construction in a negative way.
Lemme explain it:

I have my mum not bring me the menu ( more or less it should be lile I don't have the menu brought, assuming it's correct)

I get my mum not to bring me the menu.

May I use this kinda construction?


texts:
Thousands of jobs are set to go at the Dutch national airline, KLM,
  as  it deals with the impact of the outbreak.  Its chief executive,
  Pieter  Elbers, said KLM will shed as many as 2,000 jobs and ask
  personnel to  work shortened hours, while grounding its fleet of six
  Boeing 747s  from 1 April.

What it  (are set to go at) means in this context?


texts:
I think that a lion of a man is like:

A man is like a lion (brave)

What about

"the lion of a man"? Does this mean that a man has the lion?

ps. a friend of a man : a man is like a friend (a lion of a man: a man is like a lion), correct?


texts: Are poem recital and poetry recitation correct and interchangeable?

texts:
I searched on the Internet about poem recitation, and what came up was poetry recitation or poem recital.

Which is more grammatically correct?


texts: "That's if they're coming at all" meaning?

texts:
"Maybe they think they'll get invited to dinner if they're late." (said Aunt Petunia)

  "Well, they most certainly won't be," said Uncle Vernon, and Harry heard him stand up and start pacing the living room. "They'll take the boy and go, there'll be no hanging around. That's if they're coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I daresay their kind don't set much store by punctuality. ...

I'm not sure how to understand "That's if ..." in the sentence. Is it a common expression? I've looked it up, but I haven't found a reference to indicate it's a set phrase/expression. What does it convey?