texts:
A U.S. tax return must be filed if a taxpayer pays income tax payments during that year or expects an income tax return. Source : Longman TOEFL PBT CD-ROM

I don't understand why we use the word or here and not the word and. I think the sentence means something like :

The people who must fill a U.S. tax return are the ones who pay
income tax payments during that year and the ones who expect an
income tax return.

Which (maybe) can be omitted to :

The people who must fill a U.S. tax return are the ones who pay
income tax payments during that year and {omitted} expect an
income tax return.

I also thought that all the people who can claim an income tax return must have paid the tax already that year, and so both "pays income tax payments during that year" and "expects an income tax return" describes the same taxpayer, but maybe that is not how the system works.


texts:
I just would like to know if this sentence would be grammatically correct and in which cases should I use it:

I don't know when he is back instead of he will be back . I know the rule with when "no will" in most cases but we can say" please let me know when it will be available or when it is available"

If that's not correct let me know why please


texts: I wasn't expecting this to be how I'd hear of Hulk after ages

texts:
I wasn't expecting this to be how I would hear of you after ages.

i would hear is future-in-past in this sentence?


texts: "Sheriff's hiring of political supporters under fire" & "building a community outreach wing his critics say doubles as a re-election team"

texts:
What's the grammatical structure of these:

  Sheriff's hiring of political supporters under fire

is the title of a story.  Who or what is "under fire"? Sheriff, supporters, or hiring?

  Sheriff Scott Israel has hired from the ranks of his political supporters, building a community outreach wing his critics say doubles as a re-election team.

It's a little confusing. Should there be a "that" or "which" before "his critics", because "that/which" acts as both the object of "say" and the subject of "doubles"?


texts:
“The smaller the friend circle ‘would’ be, the cozier it ‘will’ get.”

Is the ‘will’ in the second clause correct here or should we say ‘would’ like the first clause to balance?


texts: word choice: [induce] or [generate] negative effects on youngsters

texts:
Last month, the government legalized marijuana. Many people worry that it will induce negative effects on youngsters.

Some of my friends think "generate negative effects" fits better.

Which word is correct: "induce" or "generate"?


texts: The definition of 'familiarity' in the English Liguistics

texts:
My understanding of ‘familiarity’ according to the theories of Christophersen, Karttunen, and Heim is that it does not embrace those referents interpreted under ‘accommodation,’ ‘inferrability,’ or ‘bridging.’ Is my understanding correct?

I went into the class and talked to the teacher. [the teacher: its existence is accommodated]

This referent is not regarded as ‘familiar’ to the hearer at the time of utterance even though he/she can accommodate it?

I always become so confused when I hear the word 'familiar' in the discussion of the definite article. I wonder to what extent 'familiarity' embraces definite NP's? Are accommodated referents 'familiar'? Are the weak definite nouns 'familiar' (In a room with three equally salient windows. "It's hot in here. Could you open the window?") ?


texts: Possible ambiguities when using "home" as an adverb? (study home, write home...)

texts:
I'm aware of the adverbialization of the word "home" in English.

I go home. I read letters at home/home.

But in what kind of sentences could we find that home and at home can't be interchangeable?
(I need a generalization, i.e a general rule, if possible of course.)
So, is there an exception to the use of home when it creates ambiguity?
As, would the use of a transitive verb create an ambiguity?

For instance "to study", and "to write".

(1) I study home.
(2) I write home.

Would any of the (1) or (2) ambiguous, because used with a transitive verb (I write letters, I study something)?

For (2) I write from home? To home? Being at home?
Can it be ambiguous in any way, with the adverbialization of "home" in English?

  home, adv.
      1. a. To or towards one's home, house, or abode; to the place, region, or country where one lives.


texts:
I've run into a small question about using of. Which of the following sentences are correct? If they both are correct, which one is more correct?

The theme is told through the characters Bob, Joe, and Ann.
The theme is told through the characters of Bob, Joe and Ann.

I've overthought this, as I always do, so I can't tell which one sounds right anymore. Can anyone help?


texts: Are these usages better off without the prepositions?

texts:
Is it better to not add the preposition when using any of the usages below in daily conversation and in writing? Why? Will the answers vary from person to person?

  spend time (on) doing something / have no problem (in) doing something
  / have difficulty (in) doing something / is no point (in) doing
  something / is no use (in) doing something / Good luck (in) doing something / be busy (in) doing something


texts: Usage and meaning of "Up next" and “Coming up next"

texts: What's the meaning and usage of "up next"and "coming up next”. I often hear this phrase in Television and radio. Are there any other usage of them? What do they mean? I think they mean something is coming after something. I am not sure.


texts: as an assembly worker- a dangling modifier?

texts:
Is "as an assembly worker" a dangling modifier in the following?

As an assembly worker, your duty is to check products for defects.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Is this sentence correct? "how long has she learned Italian?"

texts: It sounds grammatically correct to me as present prefect but i cannot find it being used much on google. why? Is it incorrect?


texts:
I recently came across this term 'sea change'.

Origin: from Shakespeare's Tempest

There is ,however, nothing from what I researched, anything on sea change taking a plural form. For eg, is the below sentence grammatically correct?

  The market is prone to a series of sea changes.


texts: "Why yes, yes you can" vs. "Yes, you can"

texts: I came across this question today and the accepted answer starts with "Why yes, yes you can". Why didn't the person simply write 'yes, you can' instead of adding two extra words? Is this person trying to emphasize the obviousness of the usage of the word in the given question? What is the difference between them?


texts: What does the phrase, "Please - allow me!" mean?

texts:
I know that the meaning of this phrase is often context related, but I'm not really sure when or in what situations it can be used. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd just give a context as an example yourself.

(I'm always looking to improve on my English; so, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would point out any grammatical mistakes I've made in describing my question)


texts: I want to know the structure of "Hardly had I slept when the telephone rang" or can we use hardly I had slept when the telephone rang.


texts:
In movie "Polar" one character uses an invective "shit-spit" for crime organization boss. What does "shit-spit" mean? Could you provide me some definition or alternative term? I found one definition on Urban Dictionary but I am not sure about it:

  The water that splashes up into your anus when releasing a turd into the shitter.

She calls him like that behind his back basically. But he knows about that because he heard her saying it during her phone call.


texts: Is the /t/ sound in "stopped" not pronounced in "we stopped for petrol"?

texts:
I'm wondering if all /t/ sounds which are at the end of a word are often omitted in British English when it is followed by a consonant when you are speaking normally fast?

As I've noticed that it seemingly occurs so frequently; such as "we stopped for petrol", "best-seller", "the test might be cancelled", "the last knight", "it's hard cheating", "I don't lie" and so.

And I'm particularly not sure about this one: "the test is over". Is this "the tesisover" or "the tes-tisover", when you speak as usual?


texts: 'Programs hacking programs' & 'The code is hidden in tumblers'

texts:
In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo said, "programs hacking programs".

I don't think it is a complete sentence. What is omitted here? What does it mean? A program can hack another program or what?

Besides, Seraph said, "The code is hidden in tumblers. One position opens a lock. Another position opens one of these doors."

What's meant by tumbler here? A position can open a lock? Sounds really weird to me.


texts:
I heard this in a movie:

  The kids are grateful. They're gonna have you up to visit next month.

Is have somebody up to do something idiomatic?


texts:
Consider the following sentence -

  She was working.

[Function] Subject: She [Category: Noun Phrase]  and
[Function] Predicate: was working [Category: Verb Phrase]

Now consider the verb phrase - was working. It has an auxiliary verb - was - and a lexical verb - work. So here also, as far as my understanding (which is based on The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language page no 1209), we can analyze it like the following -

  [[Vaux WAS] [Catenative Clause [WORKING]]

1. Now is my understanding correct?
2. If it is, then it consists of a subordinate clause (I am referring to the Catenative clause). Then how can this sentence be a Canonical Clause?
[The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language on page no 46, markes this sentence as Canonical Clause]


texts: The meaning of "year of grace" in "Treasure Island"

texts:
I just started reading Treasure Island by RL Stevenson. The very first sentence says: "...I take up my pen in the year of grace 17__ and...".

I had never encountered "grace" used in such fashion and failed to figure out what it is doing there.


texts:
Isn't this article's line strange?

"This labor shortage is being created in large part by the supplemental unemployment payments that the federal government provides claimants on top of their state unemployment benefits," Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement on Thursday. "What was intended to be a short-term financial assistance for the vulnerable and displaced during the height of the pandemic has turned into a dangerous federal entitlement, incentivizing and paying workers to stay at home rather than encouraging them to return to the workplace."

Claimant

A claimant is someone who is receiving money from the state because they are unemployed or they are unable to work because they are ill.

May be the author dropped "as" between "provides" and "claimants"?
Thank you.


texts: the stones got trapped in it and the whole sheet moved, rock and all - I'm not getting what "rock and all" means

texts:
Video (starting at 0 min. 22 sec.): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnAXKuX1Q-c#t=0m22s

Transcript for that section:

  There is many a theory about the traveling stones including a few that involve aliens. Ice was the most popular idea for quite some time, and the guess was that the stones got trapped in it and the whole sheet moved, rock and all.
  What really happens is the rock does indeed get frozen in the ice, but eventually the ice on the outer edges melt. The lightened stone and ice combo are then pushed effortlessly along by the wind, leaving a furrow behind them.

First of all, I don't quite understand how rock and all is connected to the rest of the sentence and what he's trying to say. The sheet and the rock and everything else is moved? Then where's the article?

Second. Is the subject the lightened stone and ice combo plural? If so, then it's not completely clear what he means by ice combo if we should think of it as a separate thing. But to me, it sounds like lightened stone and ice must be an adjective that's describing the combo. If so, then we must use is instead of are. It's kind of confusing.

Also, I believe there's a mistake in the script that he's reading. It should be melts.


texts: Term to say "how much space a specific market has for new sellers"

texts: For example, let's say there is a lot of people demanding furniture but very few sellers, how is the term to say "there's space" / good oportunities due to high demand + little demand satisfaction.


texts: Difference between similar words like "electric-electrical"?

texts:
What is the difference between words like: Electric-Electrical ?
For example is it correct to say Electric engineer rather than Electrical ?


texts:
Would you please explain what does "exposure lies" mean in below sentence?  Does it mean point of interest!?

  The definition of "Demurrage and detention" varies and hence the shipping line needs to know where their exposure lies.


texts:
I've heard phrases like take a taxi/bus. I wonder if it's also common to say take a bike.
For example:

  I take a bike to school.

rather than

  I ride a bike to school.


texts:
In the movie The Devil's Advocate, a character says this when telling another person she has to go catch a plane.

  Mary Ann: Look, I gotta make a plane.

Do people commonly say make a plane when referring to catch a plane? It doesn't appear to be a thing according to Google


texts: Which one of these three forms of "Offer" should I use? "I offer ___", "I am offering ___" or "Offering ___"?

texts:
I want to express in my bio (Instagram, Twitter etc.) that I do and sell these services:

  Digital marketing, Protection of privacy and personal information on the internet and social media, Speed-up and repair of slow computers

From both grammatical and practical way, which one of these sentences should I use?

First:

  I offer: Digital marketing, Protection of privacy and personal information on the internet and social media, Speed-up and repair of slow computers"

Second:

  I am offering: Digital marketing, Protection of privacy and personal information on the internet and social media, Speed-up and repair of slow computers

Third:

  Offering: Digital marketing, Protection of privacy and personal information on the internet and social media, Speed-up and repair of slow computers

To put it even more into the context, let's take the example of the whole potential bio:

  I am into meditation, philosophy, psychology, photography, veganism.

  (One of the sentences above)

  PM me or e-mail me for more details.

  Hi@Adamkrupa.cz


texts: I want to know about the flow of this passage

texts:
This a problem from a reading comprehension workbook. The correct answer is (C)(B)(D), but I was wondering if (C)(D)(B) could work as well.

  Instruction: Put items (B), (C), and (D) in the correct order after item (A).

  Passage:

  (A)Some people seem to have a knack for learning languages. They can pick up new vocabulary, master rules of grammar, and learn to write in the new language more quickly than others. They do not seem to be any cleverer than others, so what makes language learning so much easier for them? Perhaps if we take a close look at these successful language learners, we may discover a few of the techniques which make language learning easier for them.

  (B)Therefore, successful learners do not wait for a chance to use the language; they look for such a chance. They find people who speak the language and they ask these people to correct them when they make a mistake. They will try anything to communicate. They are not afraid to repeat what they hear or to say strange things;they are willing to make mistakes and try again. When communication is difficult,they can accept information that is inexact or incomplete. It is more important for them to learn to think in the language than to know the meaning of every word.

  (C)First of all, successful language learners are independent learners. They do not depend on the book or the teacher; they discover their own way to learn the language. Instead of waiting for the teacher to explain, they try to find the patterns and the rules for themselves. They are good guessers who look for clues and form their own conclusions. When they guess wrong, they guess again. They try to learn form their mistakes. Successful language learning is active learning.

  (D)Above all, successful language learners are learners with a purpose. They want to learn the language because they are interested in the language and the people who speak it. It is necessary for them to learn the language in order to communicate with these people and to learn from them. They find it easy to practice using the language regularly because they want to learn with it.


texts: "Destroying of world" or "Destroying world"?

texts: For meaning like "world destroying" or "destruction of world". What form should be used? What are their names, because in grammar rules of participle tense forms there are absolutely different examples compared to my goals here in creating: nouns, or concepts, or situations (phenomena), or options (like option A and option B (like not destroying world))? Also in my research there are both such forms in web articles if to search literally with quotes, but their meaning is strange and not understandable


texts: John is calling you or John's calling you

texts:
Is there a difference between “John is calling” and “John’s calling”?

I mean, can I use an apostrophe and an “s” after John’s name in the above context, and be understood as “John is calling”?

If both have the same meaning, then can I write "cat's an animal" in place of "cat is an animal"?


texts: Past Simple and Past Perfect. "I had seen" or "I saw" him a few days before he left

texts:
Yesterday I saw this sentence in some test without any context:
I ... (see) him a few days before he ... (leave).
My answer was "I'd seen him a few days before he left", but it was wrong.
Right answer was "I saw him a few days before he left".
I understand that the second answer is also correct, but I don't think I'm wrong, or am I?


texts:
I know that this question was asked before and I read the other posts but I'm still which one to use. I was just talking with a friend and I asked, "Have you had a tiring day?"... I thought I was right because I read somewhere that I should use "Have you had" when addressing something recently done, but then I googled the two sentences and "did you have" got a lot more of entries.

Ps. I asked that question 'cause she said, "Half of my body is sleeping".


texts: Is there an idiom for "proposing her for marriage"?

texts:
"He gave her a ring while proposing her for marriage."

This sentence feels long winded. I am sure there's a more idiomatic way to say this. Is there? I am looking for an idiom a native speaker may use.

  "He gave her a ring to propose her for marriage."

  "He gave her a ring while bending the knee for a marriage proposal."

All these sentences sound unnatural.


texts:
I read a speaking book and I saw this sentence:

  I am planning to pursue my education in Australia and the university
  to which I have applied requires IELTS score 7 to let me get in.

but I dont understand "to" role before "which" in this sentence


texts: What is correct - grape flavor or grapes flavor?

texts:
Its very confusing which is correct:

  grape flavor or grapes flavor

We had a debate in our office regarding the collective noun - Grapes

As per user3169 [in ELL]: "You should use grapes though, since there is no pronoun. In any case it is usually considered plural, since if you picture the fruit it probably won't be one grape. "My favorite flavor is grape." would be OK." - in My favorite fruit is grape/grapes by ELL user John Arvin.


texts:
Some examples (they are book titles):

to Getting

The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published
The Guide to Getting it On

vs. to get

The Ultimate Guide To Get Out Of Debt
A Quick & Easy Guide to get You Started Making Money

So what is the difference in meaning?
What is the grammatical structure? and How can I decide which structure to use?

Thanks


texts:
This is a conversation from the movie The Game (1997) (starting from about 11:00) starring Michael Douglas. Urban Dictionary suggests a spanking machine is when it is a child's birthday, that child gets spanked by other children. But there is no explanation as to why on Urban Dictionary. What is a spanking machine? And why do you have to be spanked on your birthday? And what does it mean here in the movie?

  Elizabeth: Have you had a nice birthday?

  Nick: Does Rose Kennedy have a black dress? I went, not once, but twice through the spanking machine.


texts:
I hope you know that I expect the same things to you, too.

I'm not sure if expect is the most appropriate verb to use but express it more what I want to say. Also, I have a doubt about to you or for you in the sentence above.


texts: I know there are actually two different "th" sounds in English, but they are very similar. I'm very confuse. Please share some tips to pronounce them.


texts:
I want to know how to say that..is that correct?

"What is the right answer of number 37?"

I was taking an exam. After that, my teacher said "so the answer is (a)", but I missed to hear what she said. I asked my friend what the answer is then I said "What is the right answer of number 37?"

Is this right? and this story is easy to understand? no wrong grammar? and not strange?


texts: The use of a superlative in the form "one smart of a cat"

texts:
I'd like to write in a translation a kind of superlative like
"he was one smart of a cat" to avoid writing "he was one hell of a smart cat".
Is it grammatically correct? Do you have any better suggestions?


texts:
In the following sentences what's the difference between 'than' and 'than that of.'

"His net worth is more THAN THAT OF/THAN Bill Gates's"
"The camera on this phone is better THAN THAT OF/THAN yours."

Is 'than that of' something a native speaker would say?


texts: Do I use "to", "of", "for" in the example text?

texts:
"The passwords to my computer is short"

versus

  "The passwords of my computer is short"

versus

  "The passwords for my computer is short"

All of them sounds right and means the same thing to me. But I am guessing I am obviously wrong here.


texts: Why does this sentence have wrong subject-verb agreement?

texts:
Why is the error in this sentence a lack of subject-verb agreement?

  Sarah have a red car?


texts: what's difference between ward off and prevent?

texts:
Most of time I prefer to use 'prevent' rather then ' ward off" because I don't get those difference.
Soryy I ask such a small thing. But my dictionary doesn't much explain it as I can understand.


texts:
I am trying to cope with the ever increasing trend of new phrases in English language and found something.

I have heard many a times people use "Do you have a/the time?" In reply, either we say "Yes/No" depending upon our schedule or we tell the current time.

In which cases do we use a or the? Is it tense specific?


texts:
I have two issues for the below phrases:

  Extradition Act
  S.C. 1999, c. 18
  Assented to 1999-06-17

What does c. 18 means?
Can i write Assented on 1999-06-17?


texts: Answers for the question word "what kind of"

texts:
Given:

  The  Philippines  is  a  predominantly  Catholic  nation  and  no  country  in  ASEAN  can  rival  its centuries-old  churches,  with  their  antique  religious  objects.  Fascinating  churches,  to  be  found  around Metro  Manila  are:  the  Malate  Church  with  its  images  of  Our  Lady  of  Remedies;  the  Las  Pinas Church,  with  its  165-year-old  organ  made  entirely  of  bamboo;  and  San  Sebastian  Church  built  in 1981, the only  Gothic  steel  church in  the  country.

  Question:

  What kind of church is San Sebastian Church?

  Possible Answers:

  1.San Sebastian Church is a Gothic steel church.

  2.San Sebastian Church is the only Gothic steel church in the country.

I can't decide which answer is suitable for the question
"What kind of--". I like both as they can describe the types of Church.


texts:
This is a sentence from the article "Travel in Southeast Asia". It is about Laos.

  In addition to pagodas and historical sites, Wat Sisaket Temple with its big Buddha image, old Hotai library whose walls are covered with sapphires, and wall paintings are well worth seeing.

In this sentence, I am so confused with the following question:

  The wall of Hotai library are covered with ____

Possible answers:

sapphires
sapphires and wall painting

I wanted to know the usage of comma before "and" in this sentence.


texts: "move back the appointment two days" or "move back the oppointment by two days"?

texts:
Could you tell me If I have to include the proposition by in the following sentence?

Is it possible to move back the dentist appointment (by) two days?


texts: Why don't we contract "it is" in "If it is, then..."

texts:
I wrote some instructions for a friend today, asking them to check something, and then act differently depending on the result:

  It should be spinning when it's on.  If it isn't then check the batteries.  If it is then replace the frobulator.

I used the contraction "it's" for the first sentence to replace "it is".

I didn't use the contraction for the second because I chose to contract "is not" to "isn't". However I could have chosen the opposite: "If it's not check the batteries" would have been fine.

However, the third sentence doesn't sound right if I contract "it is".  "If it's then replace the frobulator" seems incorrect.

Is there a rule that explains why "it is" shouldn't be contracted in this case, or am I wrong, and that contraction would be fine in that last sentence?


texts:
What word would you replace the word "came" in this context to make it a piece of cake to beginers. That seems intransitive, doesn't it.
........

The latest possible lead came as the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 entered its third week, with still no confirmed trace found of the Boeing 777 or the 239 people on board.


texts: Why do people say "I am home" instead of "I am at home"?

texts:
Why do people say "I am home" in the meaning of "I am at home"?

Here is the person who say "I am home" he is human being and not object as home.
In addition, why people don't say "I am university" or "I am supermarket" etc?


texts:
Generally speaking, say about the laws pertaining to something, should we say "enforces law" or "enforces laws"? I have a weird feeling about the second one, that it is not right. I have included the question which sparked this doubt in my mind as situation below

  "Do you know who enforces laws in the sea?"


texts: What does "goes" mean in "zinc paint that goes on those stainless steel cables"?

texts:
IF you've ever been to San Francisco, you know that the Golden gate bridge is red.
  And it's red because of the zinc paint that goes on those stainless steel cables.

Please tell me: What does "goes" means in this sentence?


texts: Suspect in past continuous (were suspecting )

texts:
In my understanding 'suspect' is a stative verb, therefore is not used in continuous times. But I came across the following sentences: "I suggested to the team that what we were really suspecting was an intellectual disability." and "The accused was suspecting the fidelity of his wife Geetha.". Are these sentences correct and why?
Thanks in advance.


texts:
According to definition of 4 of this dictionary, "bring to" should only apply to a state, place, or condition.  But in this example:

  The league agreed to mediate, helping bring as many as 15 clubs to a settlement with HMRC.

, a "settlement" is not a state, place, or condition.  Could the example be wrong?


texts:
He was going at a rate of 50 miles per hour.

OR

He was going at the rate of 50 miles per hour.

Which one is the most appropriate grammatically speaking and why?


texts: What's the difference Nuance between Ever Since and Since

texts:
For example:

  Ever since that day, he is like a different person.

or

  Since that day, he is like a different person.

What's the difference nuance between those two sentences? Which one that is widely used by native English speakers in their daily life?


texts:
If someone had double parked his car behind another car,  what's a natural phrase to be used:

  How am I supposed to get out? (of the parking spot)

  How am I supposed to reverse out?(of the parking spot)

  How am I supposed to back out? (of the parking spot)

The person whose exit was blocked says this. Do the three sentences above sound natural?

There are two cars flanking the parked car and there is a curb in front of it.  And then another car comes and parks behind that car,  thus blocking it in.


texts: "," vs "to" in "Merry Christmas eve, everyone!"

texts:
Is this technically a correct sentence?

  Merry Christmas eve, everyone!

Or do I need to replace the comma with the word 'to'?


texts: What is difference between: "I have been married with (was married with, married) her for three years."

texts:
What is the difference between the three sentences below?

I have been married with her for three years.
I was married with her for three years.
I married her for three years.


texts: Adjective, noun or what is the word few?

texts:
In the following sentence what is the word few:

  I thought about the question for a few moments?

Adjective, noun or what?


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to use "did" like this?

  On June 18th, I did experience my first earthquake in Japan.

I'm an ALT in Japan and on our exam for our students they had to write the statement above but without “did" but the teachers are wondering if it’s ok because they think it puts emphasis on experience. But, I dont think it is right and I cannot explain why. Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Help to understand these two sentences from this article

texts:
I have some difficulty to understand the passive voice from these two sentences in this article.

  On Monday, Trump tweeted a link to the Breitbart article that highlighted a comment Lynch made in a lengthy profile published the Guardian.

The part I am confusing is published the Guardian, which I think it should be published by the Guardian instead.

  All you need to do is treat all the people as you would like to be treated.

I'm wondering why the passive voice (be treated) should be used, instead of just treat. It seems logically incorrect to me.

Appreciate if someone can help!


texts:
John is eating a little less than usual.

  John is eating little less salt than usual.

Are the expressions a little less and little less grammatical? Also, are there more cases in which different degrees of comparisons can combine together, like in the case above?


texts: In some cases, "come" and "go" are interchangeable, right?

texts:
Note: This post is discussing verbs, the following scenario is to add background for discussion.

Let's say we are discussing the usage of adverbs.

  I
  always wake up early

  he never gets angry

we could say

  always and never go in the mid position before the verb

we could also say

  always and never come in the mid position before the verb

Is my understanding right?

Although I got this sense, I don't know the rules clearly, in what situations, "come" and "go" are interchangeable.


texts: What does "To be it to be followed" mean

texts:
In this sentence :
This trend, were it to be followed, would spell disaster for the country

What does it means and how to use it please ?


texts:
Is the following sentence correct, on the model of "try as you may"?

Sing as you do today, he is never going to be happy with you.

Live as I do in Japan, I will never be treated as a local.


texts:
My right knee was not sore but knew I had a knee, if you know what I
  mean.

Struggling to interpret this, I couldn't understand the middle part of the sentence (but ~ ,) because of no subject of the verb 'knew'. Also connections between chunks of the sentence are unclear to me.

What is the subject of 'knew' and what relation does the 2nd and last phrases are in?


texts: SCOTUS reject request to prevent PA from doing it

texts:
The structure "SCOTUS rejects Mr.R's request to prevent PA from doing it" appears to have two opposite meanings to me:

It means "SCOTUS rejects Mr.R's request so that 'PA doing it' can be prevented."

It means "SCOTUS rejects Mr.R's request, this request is that 'PA doing it' should be prevented" (Now SCOTUS has rejected the request, so 'PA doing it in favor of Biden is successful').

I guess (2) is what the author means. But I am not absolutely sure.

SCOTUSblog
@SCOTUSblog
The Supreme Court has rejected a Pennsylvania Republican congressman’s request to prevent Pennsylvania from certifying its presidential election results in favor of Joe Biden.
This case is different from the lawsuit filed by the state of Texas this morning.

Source of article


texts: Is 'got me to thinking' correct in this sentence?

texts:
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal about a short list of things that desperately need to be ‘de-invented” got me to thinking about things in the world of wine that should have never been invented.

I saw the sentence from here.I feel "got me to thinking" is not correct. It should be either "got me thinking" or "got me to think". Any thoughts?


texts: What is a good mnemonic rule that an English learner can use to remember the difference between its (possessive adjective: a team has started its lunch) and it's (verb: it's raining)?


texts: "After you" when you go first to push the door

texts:
Do you natives say "After you" even when you go first to open the door at the push-type door?

You have to go out from the room first when the door is the type of door which open toward outside.  Even in that case, if you hold the door for other people, do you say "After you"?

(I think it is natural to say "After you" when you pull and open the door to have other people go outside of the room first, but I wonder if I can say it even when I go out from the room first to open the door.)

Thank you for your answer in advance!


texts:
I've across the phrase below:

  “It’s him or us!”

Could you please tell me what it exactly means?

The fuller text:

  “We should kill him,” Henry says into the dark without warning,
  “before he kills us.” David feels the small hairs on the back of his
  neck stirring. It’s as if everyone has stopped breathing. He takes a
  deep breath and says, his voice outraged beneath the evenness, “Don’t
  be ridiculous, Henry—we don’t know that Ian killed anybody.” Henry
  says recklessly, “It’s him or us!”


texts:
A deep purple lipstick made her look like a vampire, she said to screams, laughter and wefies, before trying out the coral hue and ochre shades.

Why is "said to" followed by nouns like "screams, laughter and wefies" but not verbs like "scream, laugh and take wefies" here?

Can it be written as "To her screams, laughter and wefies, she said that…"?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between future simple and present progressive when they express a refusal or a promise

texts:
You can try and kill me, but still, I'm not telling you anything!

You can try and kill me, but still, I won't tell you anything!

Do these two sentences have a different meaning? Is won't tell stronger? Does it mean in anytime, where not telling means in the close future, not after?
I read in a grammar book that refusals are expressed by the Future Simple, not Present Progressive.


texts: Can we classify "dams" and "pipelines" into one word? I'm doing my summary of a passage. Is infrastructure suitable?


texts: difference between put your hand up and raise your hand?

texts:
If I asked my teacher a question in a classroom, then which one of the following sentence would be correct ?

I put my hand up to ask the teacher a question.
I raised my hand up to ask the teacher a question.

Is there any difference ? - If any, how to differentiate its usage ?


texts: Do I need a comma or semi colon after "held to" in this sentence?

texts:
In this sentence:

  These will be covenants that we decide to be held to, not forced, but encouraged, so that each of us has the opportunity to further mature in our faith.

Do I need a comma or semi colon after "held to"? Are the other commas correct?


texts: Is it possible to use past progressive with time adverb

texts: Is it possible to use past progressive tense with time preposition ago in a sentence: " I was just thinking about that 30 minutes ago" or would use simple past?


texts:
I am a little confused about using "when v-ing" and "while v-ing". When should I use "when v-ing" instead of "while v-ing" ?

  1- Always keep some change with you. It’s useful when buying a
  bus ticket.

  2- Always keep some change with you. It’s useful while buying a
  bus ticket. (The dictionary say this usage is wrong)

  3- Be careful when crossing the road.

  4- Be careful while crossing the road. (Is it correct to use while here? )

  5- I used to read a book when using public transport.

  6- I used to read a book while using public transport. (Again, is it correct to use while here?)


texts:
Consider a scenario where a person out of some urge or compulsion says I have read this book, that book. May be due to anxiety he runs on urges and says things which are not true. He might have read one chapter of a book and says he has read the whole book and try to be knowledgeable.
Could we term it as lying or hypocritical behavior? What's the appropriate word for this?
Because he may not be intentionally lying. He probably gets overtaken by urges.


texts:
Suppose there are three types of cats:

  Cats are of three types.

Is this good English?  The to be of ... types structure could be found on google though.


texts: Can we use "then" in the first conditional sentences?

texts:
I want to know if I can use 'then' with first conditional sentences. For example.

  If you want to learn anything, then read a lot of books in the same field.


texts:
Which tense should I use here?

  There were documents in his briefcase which he needed to read before he was going (or went) in to work the next day?


texts:
Saw an advertisement from Grammarly, a spell checker, where they humbly write: Code what matters.

It doesn’t seem right to me, although I’m not a native speaker, might be wrong here.

I feel like it should be Code that matters, am I wrong?

Can someone please explain the difference between what and that?


texts: What does 'provides money' mean in context?

texts:
While reading this text I understand all words but I can not imagine what is going on factually. What is '12000' and what does 'provides money' mean here? Does it mean to give them money or to help them earn money?

  The festival is not just about having a good time either. It is also a money-making event for Marlinton and Pocahontas County.

  “It’s close to a $2 million economic impact,” says Wilfong. “The population of Pocahontas County is just slightly over 8,500 people, and they get about 12,000 for the event.”

  Wilfong added that the festival provides money for all businesses in the area, such as fuel businesses, hotels, store owners and restaurants.

Source: West Virginia Cook-off Celebrates Unusual Foods


texts:
“Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he heard this call, mysteriously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it, and to plunge into the forest, and on and on, he knew not where or why; nor did he wonder where or why, the call sounding imperiously, deep in the forest.” ― Jack London, The Call of the Wild.

I think I understand that a comma gets used to point to the location of a clause boundary and that 'and as often as he heard this call' gets separated from the previous clause because it contains the conjunction 'and' (?)

Can I confirm that 'mysteriously thrilling and luring' is an adjectival phrase while 'he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it' and 'he knew not where or why' are independentant clauses?


texts: 'Have you got home' or 'Are you back at home' or 'Are you at home now?'

texts:
Hi I'm just asking my girl friend if she's come back from the party. I want to ask get if she's at home now. Are the following sentences correct?

1-Have you got back home?
2-Are you back at home?
3-Are you at home now?


texts: Is it possible to use "That are" in any case?

texts:
I read few sentences in which I saw people use "That are" together, is it feasible to use like this or is there any possibility to use it?

I am bit of confused about it, can anybody please help me?

An example sentence, where I encountered this construction:

  Here is a list of adjectives and their synonyms that are commonly used to describe people.


texts:
For example

I want to go and leave you.
I want to go and to leave you.

Which one would be accurate?


texts: is it correct to say "today is rainy" or it is "today, it's rainy"?

texts:
I was looking for an answer to another question and I've found an answer on the italki website, which makes unclear about which is the right usage.

Is it syntactically correct to say "today is rainy" or the right phrase is "today, it's rainy" ?


texts: Perfect continuous tense with 'for' or without 'for'?

texts:
For example, I have two sentences:

Have you been waiting long?

or

Have you been waiting for long?

I read both sentences in my grammar book. But I am unable to get which is correct in which situation?

Can anyone have any clarification?

Thanks! :)


texts:
Consider this sentence, please:

Is there any possibility that I could use these words in writing?

Can I use the above sentence to take advice/suggestion or does it sound like the speaker's asking permission?


texts: "I would like to inform you" vs "This is to inform you" - which is more formal and polite?

texts:
While writing any kind of emails (ex business emails). I have seen many people, when informing about something to the other person, starting their email with the following 2 sentences (one or the other):

  "I would like to inform you that the document you asked for has been completed."

  "This is to inform you that the document you asked for has been completed."

Which sentence looks more formal and polite to the recipient?


texts: can "He has to come back" mean "He will surely come back"?

texts:
Wikipidia says, "The modal must expresses obligation or necessity: You must use this form; We must try to escape. It can also express a confident assumption (the epistemic rather than deontic use), such as in It must be here somewhere".

Then, isn't it true that "He must come back" can both mean "He has to come back" and "He will surely come back" ?


texts: Can I substitute 'came' for 'have come' in this context?

texts:
Today I was given a task including following sentences. I would like to know whether or not I could substitute came for  have come.

Here is the sentence:

  You came to the party in your own car. It is a 20 minute drive home. At the end of the party your friend asks you to drive him home but you....

We were supposed to finish the "story" . I don´t remember the end but there was something like that I can´t drive him home because (and here I am not sure what tense was used) I have drunk too much .

Then we talked about possible endings. In my opinion " You came" could be substituted for " "You have come" but I understand that the past simple tense is maybe focuisng on the moment (the beginning of the party maybe) when I arrived. Still.....would it be possible to use the present perfect in the same scenario?


texts: Pronunciation of the "p" in the words like "splatter", "splash", "split", "explain" in American accent?

texts: In the words like "splatter", "splash", "split" and "explain" should I make an aspirated or an unaspirated "p" sound? I can't decide which way is correct. I need your help.


texts: Is "differs from sth to sth by sth" grammatical?

texts:
I want to say that :

  The effective population size differs from British population to Americans from Africans ancestry by a change in the bottleneck.

I am comparing between British population size and the Americans of African Ancestry population size, they are both different only in the bottleneck, which  refers for the migration history of both pop.

To simplify my question neglecting all these academic terms, can I say that:

  The skin color differs from European to Africans only by a change in melanin?

Can I use the verb "differ" in this way?

Can I say "X differs from A to B by C"?


texts: "I want four more" or "I want more four"?

texts:
What's the natural order in the following sentence? Where should I put the word "more" in the following sentences?

My friend told me that we have already 4 oranges. I want to tell him that:

  Okay, but I want more four.

or

  Okay, but I want four more.

?


texts: When guide someone to think something which one is more appropriate, "find" or "find out"?

texts:
I answered a question just now, but I am not sure I expressed appropriately.

I am trying to guide the guy who posted this question to look into source code

  take a look at the source code, you'll find out that TruncatedSVD is
  based on randomized_svd

In this case, which one is more appropriate, "find" or "find out"?


texts:
Is the position of the adverbial YESTERDAY in the sentence below correct or not?

  She told me yesterday that she had been to Russia three times before.

If there are better placements, share it please.


texts:
Which one of these sentences is correct? Is it:

  One of the premises.

Or

  One of the premise.

Thank you.


texts: What is English phrase express a time point that happened less than 1 minute?

texts:
Which one below is correct?

(Something) added a few seconds ago
(Something) added a few moments ago
(Something) added a moment ago
.....

Thanks!


texts:
I'm writting a cybersecurity essay about malware.
I searched on wiktionary and found that "malware" is uncountable. So, the plural form of "malware" is "malware".

I was wondering if this usage of "malware" is correct:
"Nowedays, malware are more and more sophisticated"


texts:
We use on / upon in these sentences:

  Don't forget to call me upon reaching there.

  The recipe was deliciously awesome that everyone licked their fingers upon finishing it.

upon here means immediately after.

How after is different from upon in this context?

Can I use upon to mean immediately after in any situation?

Thank you.


texts: What preposition do I use after the word "consideration"?

texts:
What preposition do I use after the word "consideration" in the following case?

This is the sentence:

  ...... which brought me to the consideration _______ applying for this job.


texts: What is wrong with this sentence: So then, there are more boys than girls in your class?

texts:
Why is this sentence correct:

  So then, are there more boys than girls in your class?

And why is this sentence incorrect:

  So then, there are more boys than girls in your class?

I would say that both are potentially correct, yet I have been told by my lecturer that the 2nd one is actually an incorrect sentence.

Can someone come up with an argument for why the 2nd sentence is actually correct? Or explain to me why it is not?


texts: 'I have decided to purchase a jet for getting to NYC and back more quickly.'

texts:
Are the following sentences grammatical or not? If not, does substituting a to-infinite make them grammatical? (Optional: designate if the sentence expresses purpose, reason, aim, or function)

1 I have decided to purchase a jet for getting to NYC and back more quickly.
2 I have decided to buy a jet for having a quicker way to get to NYC and back.

This is my only reason and aim; this will be the jet's only purpose and function.

3 I hate hairdryers, so I am buying a space heater for drying my hair more naturally, and that is my only aim & purpose & reason and that will be its only function
4 For having a lasting shine in your hair, buy ShineOn Shampoo.
5 My neighbor and I have decided to cooperate more for having a better life together.

Research done:
ELL How can I decide when to use “for” + “-ing” or “to” + [infinitive] in a sentence?
(Note the accepted answer here is a restatement of Cambridge Dictionary's For + -ing or to + infinitive?)
ELL Expressing a purpose with for + gerund?
ELL Can “for -ing” form be used after a noun to indicate the purpose of the noun?
BBC English To + infinitive and for + verb-ing to express purpose (Currently the best site I've found.)
ELU Clauses of purpose: “for + -ing” or "to-infinitive [duplicate]
All of which have answers that I find  (i) incomplete (ii) contradictory (iii) terribly confusing, if not (iv) wrong. To sort through the haze, I am focusing on one issue.
Background
Some sources say that you need to use a to-infinitive for expressing purpose, aim, function, reason, etc. I find these to be rather hazy distinctions, given that the ODO defines purpose as The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists and the same work lists as synonyms for purpose: aim, reason, function, etc.
It is my assertion that at least some of the following sentences demonstrate that one can use the -ing form (be it a gerund, verbal noun, participle) to express individual purpose (aim, reason, function, intention, whatever you want to call it). Do you agree, or not? Why (not)?

In shorter terms, are the sentences grammatical? or do we have to substitute a to-infinitive (including in order to + infinitive) to make them grammatical? (Optional: designate if the sentence expresses purpose, reason, aim, function, etc.)


texts:
How to choose between "variability of something" and "variability in something"?

Both forms appear to be widely used, e. g. Google: "variability of this" (21m results) and "variability in this" (27m results). However, in some more specific cases, one form is used exclusively, e. g. "variability of this factor" (500k results) and "variability in this factor" (2 results). On the other hand, the phrases "variability of the data" and "variability in the data" are used with comparable frequencies.


texts: meaning of "weaning the faithful from the vine"

texts:
I'm reading an article about the history of coffee. It mentions about a song which sings:

“O drink that I adore,

You rule the universe!

You wean the faithful from the vine.

You’re more delectable than wine.”

What does "the faithful" refer to in this context? Does "the vine" refer to the grapevine? If so, what does "wean the faithful from the vine" mean?


texts: Is "I do" applicable in this song lyric?

texts:
Is it correct to say:

I'm feeling like the day I thought I could make great things happen.
Because I do.

"I do" referring to "make great things happen". I'm feeling this way again because now I realize I'm a person that does make great things happen.
It's for a song...


texts: What does "bleached out" mean in this context?

texts:
Against a blue background the white fairytale castle logo of Walt Disney Pictures. The castle is bleached out by a white flash, and an arc of light encircles it. (source)

This is a line from a YouTube video. From a Free Dictionary page, "bleach out" seems to mean "remove a stain." But this definition doesn't seem to apply here. There is no bleaching in the video. And the white flash simply travels above the castle, not bleaching it. What does "bleach out" mean in this context? Or is it possible YouTube's automatically generated subtitles have made a mistake, and it is a different verb in the video?


texts: Is the children's story, A Christmas Carol also a fairy tale?

texts:
I wonder whether A Christmas Carol is a fairy tale or not.

I looked up the word in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary and
the entry for fairy tale reads a story about magic or fairies.
As there are ghosts but no magics or fairies in the story,
I think A Christmas Carol can not be a fairy tale but I am not sure.

May I ask you to explain about this and answer what is right?


texts:
I was studying, and I heard noises coming from the other room. I went there, and found that they were just happy, laughing, joking and congratulating as somebody had been engaged.

Which word can I use to describe what was happening in other room?


texts: What does the phrase "right into the corner" mean here?

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

  If you bend the ball right into the corner you’ll get triple the
  points.

I am not sure about the meaning of the phrase right into the corner. Does it mean that the ball would bend when it goes near corner? What does the word "corner" signify here?


texts:
Can we use both present simple and continuous in this sentence?

  I've got a high temperature. I think i am coming/come down with a flu.

Continuous - when we consider this to be as a process -> we have temperature so we might be coming down with a flu
Simple - as a person's viewpoint - there can be many diseases but in our personal opinion it is most probably a flu

I know that according to the book it should be continuous but please help me understand why.


texts: Using the definite article with comparatives and superlatives, for example "the sooner the better"

texts:
I would like to know the meaning of structures concerning the definite article "the"-"the"+comparative or superlative adjective(adverb) structures- to be more specific, these ones: the more...the better; the most... the best.

Examples:

the more...the better: the sooner the better.
the most...the best:  We like this book the best.

If you can provide some information of this structure I would be grateful.


texts:
A woman showed up in khaki dress at a protest.

  A woman showed up in khaki dress to a protest.

To sounds better than at, but I am wondering if both are okay and grammatical and if they mean the same thing.


texts: What do you think is the best way to learn English properly?

texts:
I has studied with a grammar book and read and listened many contents in internet (ex: Youtube, news in English ) since I started English.

I know there is no shortcut in learning language.

But I want to know some tips to study more effectively.

And I just got to know there were many ELL who study with wrong way.

For example :

.. Some students study with only exam papers.

.. Some students only repeat speaking with Movies or series in English ( even though they know only
alphabet )

so .. What do you think about it ?

Thank you for reading :)


texts:
I saw the following example sentence in a dictionary:

  It would ease my mind to know you had arrived safely.

  (Longman Dictionary)

I'm curious about what the context could be, and why the past perfect is used. There is no simple past tense to act as an anchor for the past perfect.

The following is a brief dialogue. Do you think the sentence is correctly used here?

  Mary: Why do you want me to give you a call when I arrive in Paris?

  John: It would ease my mind to know you had arrived safely.


texts:
8 WATCH [transitive] to watch a television programme, play,
  film etc

  Did you see that programme on monkeys last night?

  We’re going to see ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tonight.

  1 LOOK [intransitive, transitive] to look at someone or
  something for a period of time, paying attention to what is
  happening

  Do you mind if I watch?

  We sat and watched the sunset.

  watch carefully/closely/intently etc

  He watched helplessly as Paula fell into the icy water.

  Watch carefully. You may learn something.

  watch (somebody/something) with interest/amusement/delight etc

  Harriet watched him with interest.

  watch somebody/something do/doing something

  I watched him go, then went home.

  Ruth could not bear to watch her parents arguing.

  watch to do something

  I watched to see how he’d react.

  watch television/a film etc

  The debate was watched by 97 million viewers.

  Most parents don’t know what their kids are watching on TV.

  watch what/how/when etc

  It’s useful to watch how other pilots handle the glider.

So, how do native speakers say, for example, when a dad talks to his little child?:

Do you want to go see or watch some birds?


texts: Why do native English speakers often use "of" instead of "have"?

texts:
This is the second time I am seeing something like this. This sentence is written by a native English speaker:

  It looks like it's worked. I thought you must of fixed it.

1- It seems wrong to me, please correct me if I am wrong.

2- If it is wrong, why do they use of rather than have?

3- If it is informal language, is it ok to use it in emails, etc...?


texts: "have been to some place" vs "be to some place"

texts:
There are two phrases:
"have gone to" : someone went to some place but didn't come back.

"have been to": someone went to some place and come back.

I understand the phrase "have gone to" like this:
1a. I went to the US.
1b. I have gone to the US.
With the simple past tense, sentence 1a means the action "went" happened in the past.
With the present perfect tense, sentence 1b means the action "have gone" has finished until now. Therefore, the phrase "have gone to" means someone went to some place but didn't come back.

However I have difficulty in understanding the phrase "have been to".
I made up two sentences 2a and 2b. I am wondering what does the phrase "be to some place" means like in 2a.

2a. I was to the US.

2b. I have been to the US.


texts: 'fold over itself' and 'the boundary of the paper'

texts:
I'm having trouble comprehending a problem statement (I'm assuming that the problem statement is clear). The first two sentences I can understand (I've added them for context) but the 3rd is giving me problems.

  You would like to mail some origami you have made to your mom.

  The price of mailing is dependent on the area of the envelope used to
  mail it: the smaller the envelope area, the less cost to ship. You
  cannot fold the origami shape to make it smaller. Of course, the
  envelope you are shipping the origami in must be rectangular.

  Consider the vertices which represent the points along the boundary of
  the paper in order, such that the edge of the paper may fold over
  itself. Given the vertices describing the origami shape, what is the
  area of the smallest envelope that you can use to mail the origami?

I'm confused as to what means for the 'edge of the paper to fold over itself' and what is meant by 'the boundary of the paper'.

I assume that fold over itself means to connect two opposite edges of paper and that along the boundary of the paper means along the edges of the paper but I still don't understand the sentence.


texts: Need help understanding paragraph - what does "literary achievement" mean?

texts:
In her introduction to the first Omnibus of Crime, Dorothy Sayers
wrote: "It (the detective story) does not, and by hypothesis never
can, attain the loftiest level of literary achievement." And she
suggested somewhere else that this is because it is a "literature of
escape" and not "a literature of expression." I do not know what the
loftiest level of literary achievement is: neither did Aeschylus or
Shakespeare; neither does Miss Sayers.

The Simple Art of Murder (1950) by Raymond Chandler.

What does "literary achievement" mean here?


texts:
Could you please tell me which one is correct?

  What are these?
  — _____________.

  A. These are pens.
  B. Those are pens.
  C. They are pens.

(This is from an English exercise book of junior high school students in China.)


texts: What to call different education levels?

texts:
I've been always confused about the names of different education levels and how to use them, and which one is formal and which is not.

Can someone explain if it is master's or master? should I say M.Sc. or MSc? The same goes for bachelor. Is it bachelor's or bachelor? Is BSc./B.Sc./BSc formal in writing? what about the word "undergrad"?

Is it correct to say "I did my bachelor in business management in Canada"?


texts: "to set a man framing titillating hypotheses". What does it mean?

texts:
I am reading a book right now. I saw a phrase and I couldn't understand what it means. What does "to set a man framing titillating hypotheses" mean?

(Emphasis below is mine)

  I can only see her lips – cherry-red lipstick – and her teeth, ideally crafted and cocaine-white. Maybe that’s a promise of a smile. Or maybe she just wants to set a man framing titillating hypotheses with that single, slight movement of her lips? Nothing serious… just for practice.


texts: Does 'I do not like you, I like Monika.' need a conjunction word or need to be broken into two sentences?

texts:
I do not like you, I like Monika.

Is the sentence above okay? My concern is that there is no conjunction word between the two clauses.

Or should it instead be broken into two separate sentences?

  I do not like you. I like Monika.


texts: What grammatical concept is "I want dating my wife"?

texts:
A line was said in the Big Bang Theory.

  I’m starting to think you’re not the kind of guy I want dating my
  wife.

I know that we say "You are not the kind of guy I want for my wife to date. Or without "for" You are not the kind of guy I want my wife to date"  Are these correct?
What grammatical concept is "You are not the kind of guy I want dating my wife"?


texts: While talking to a friend over phone if I am feeling sleepy and before hanging up I want to convey to my friend that I want to sleep now. How should I say that?


texts:
On that same night.

At that same night.

In that same night  the detective had seen the suspect.

Apparently "on" is the better option, but why? They seem to carry the same meaning to me. Help, please, and thanks in advance!


texts: 'I did commented on your post' vs. 'I did comment on your post'

texts:
I did commented on your post.

Is this a correct sentence?
As you know that we often make emphatic sentences by using "did"but when we make them we use 1st form but here 2nd form is used.
I am just confused.


texts:
“Hardly”, “hardly ever”, and “hardly even” seem to mean different things and I can hardly distinguish between them.

There's this page, listing 2 very similar meanings for hardly, and which seems to indicate here that it composes “normally” with ever (i.e. hardly + ever = almost + n+ever), but doesn't mention even.

Also, I can't help but believe there should be a way to understand it as in a hard way (hard-ly), but I can't find it.

What's a clear way to understand all this?


texts: Back to a student VS back to become a student?

texts:
I want to know which one is correct way to describe, I hadn't been studying for a long time. But i am back to school and try to take some course. How do I explain that?

Thank to Jason reminded, I will demonstrate some example

sample 1 (without using back)

  I had been working for several years, but I am applying a university right now, I will be a student again soon.

sample 2 (be back)

  I had been working for several years, but I am applying a university right now, I am back to student.

sample 3 (be back to a)

  I had been working for several years, but I am applying a university right now, I am back to a student.

sample 4 (be back to become a)

  I had been working for several years, but I am applying a university right now, I am back to become a student.

sample 5 (be back to studying as a)

  I had been working for several years, but I am applying a university right now, I am back to studying as a student.

Which sentence is more native way to explain that? or you have any other good way to describe that mean?


texts: What is the word for a property no more necessary but still present in a object?

texts: As an example the small ring in the maple syrup bottles: now too small to be usefull but still present


texts: Differences between 'Why would you do that?', 'Why did you do that?' and 'How could you do that?'

texts:
Why would you do that?

  Why did you do that?

  How could you do that?

I don't understand the differences.
I want to know how to use these phrases in the conversation.


texts: question about meaning of "in place" in this text

texts:
Also, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security says airline passengers arriving from Ebola stricken countries, must now land in one of these five U.S. airports. They have enhanced Ebola screening in place.
  from CNN Student News

I cannot figure it out what in place really means here.


texts: Let's have this situation: Somebody is delivering a speech. In some period of time he is speaking about a particular topic. Then the speech is going on. After just a few minutes he/she is coming back to the topic by saying: As I (have) mentioned just before… Which tense is appropriate to use in such a situation: present perfect or just past simple?


texts: idiom for saying "by virtue of their $nothing [anticlimax]"?

texts:
In German, there is an idiom "kraft seiner Wassersuppe" - literally translated by the force/power of his watery soup.
Is there any idiom in English that has a similar meaning or usage?

The idiom can be used to deflate or expose unwarranted entitlement.
e.g. The mayor thinks he can raise the dog tax kraft seiner Wassersuppe.
= He thinks he has/should have the power legitimation to do this, but really he's lacking any legitimation/power to do so. He'd actually need the town council to do so. Nevertheless, the dog taxes will be raised - and the town council will not even protest that they weren't heard.

It can also be used to emphasize that someone does something without need of the slightest further empowering reason or legitimation.
e.g. The mayor can raise the dog tax kraft seiner Wassersuppe
= The mayor can do that because they are mayor. No further legitimation needed.

There can be a combination of both by having a skeptic connotation to 2.:
e.g. The mayor can raise the dog tax kraft seiner Wassersuppe
= The mayor can do that because they are mayor, but I don't see why a mayor should have the power to raise dog taxes.

Kraft = by virtue of here creates a quite solemn, lofty start and sets an expectation of a compelling reason for power coming. But what follows is that the expectation is deflated with the anticlimax of something that doesn't carry any power.
Wassersuppe is a soup based only on water in contrast to soups based on broth, stock or milk. I.e., water, a starchy ingredient and possibly some vegetables. Certainly not even little pieces of meat. Too thin to be considered a porridge. Think of a kasha served with so much water that the grains swim freely.
So basically, the poorest of poor people's food, something as non-nourishing as one could get within what can be called food.

update wrt. @FumbleFingersReinstateMonica's comments: The idiom typically does not question the mayor's ability to raise the dog tax. Power above may not have been the best description. I was thinking of the power e.g. a constitution gives to a government, in contrast to the factual power such a government has.
It's more in line with:
Someone: Mayor, why do you raise the dog tax?
Mayor: Because I can.


texts:
Is "looking for the treasure" an adverbial phrase?

Some pirates spent their whole lives looking for the treasure.


texts: What exactly does this sentence mean: " ... typically 10-100 times that of a plain-vanilla email campaign"

texts:
"That extra effort is what gives traditional media its added oomph—typically 10-100 times that of a plain-vanilla email campaign"

This sentence is used in below paragraph:

    They work because, to your prospect, it's a given that you've put in more effort. (A printed sales pack costs you more to put together; a telephone call takes 100% of one person's attention for its duration.) That extra effort is what gives traditional media its added oomph—typically 10-100 times that of a plain-vanilla email campaign.

I think that it means: extra effort can make the media more appealing. But the next part of the sentence is ambiguous  for me:

typically 10-100 times that of a plain-vanilla email campaign


texts: Does the following sentence clearly convey that it is 'the Earl of Kent's who was against the king?

texts:
The prince and even his brother,the Earl of Kent,who was against him, sympathize with him.

I want to convey that the Earl of Kent was against the king, not the prince, but they both sympathize with the king. Does the sentence somehow means that both were against the king? I want to make sure that it is clear that only the Earl of Kent used to be against the king  not the prince. Please correct it if it's wrong.


texts: Do native speakers pronounce 's' for the word 'corps'?

texts: My dictionary lists the pronunciation of corps as [kɔːʳ], [kɔrz]. So, I am wondering if native speakers really pronounce the s sound?


texts: Is the comma needed or confusing in this sentence

texts:
"The Proto-Italic language is the ancestor of the Italic languages, including notably Latin."

That is supposed to mean: The Italic languages include Latin.

I suppose that sentence is wrong, because the relative phrase is a participle phrase that could be replaced with a which phrase and I learned not to use a comma there. In contrast, I'd always add it before the non-restrictive relative clause (I mean the which clause).

Am I right? I tried reading the wiki article on relative clauses, but that was too much for me.


texts: "Big cities will be growing or will have grown by then."

texts: Big cities will be growing or will have grown by then. In this sentence we use future continuous or future perfect simple.


texts:
'Young patients may learn which diseases they could get when they are older.'

In the above sentence, How much possibility does 'may' mean?


texts: There is not any thing / There are not any things

texts:
I know I can use any + plural like followings.

There are not any movies playing on Christmas day.

There are no movies playing on Christmas day.

Then how about these sentences?

There is not any thing that I can do at home. ( I know it is possible)

There are not any things that I can do at home.

There are no things that I can do at home.

There are nothing that I can do at home.


texts:
He switched on a table lamp to banish the gloom of a winter afternoon.

Is ‘switched on’ a prepositional verb?
Is ‘To banish the gloom’ an infinitive phrase functioning as adverb, modifying the verb.


texts:
I live in Denmark and when they want to announce the destination of the train in English, they say

  "This train terminates at x".

Is it correct English?

Whenever I hear it, I have a feeling that the train is going to explode


texts: Why have I to use zero article in a question?

texts:
Why do we not use article before noun fruit in this question?

Do you like fruit?


texts: Do I say 'a product has to be tested before it goes 'into the market' or 'to the market'?

texts: Do I say 'a product goes 'into' the market or 'to' the market? The context is the following: Every product requires a specific testing protocol before it goes in/into the market.


texts: Different between "have been doing "and"have being done"

texts:
I'm always confused about this tow construction
I confronted this sentences and cant undrestand the main meaning
-There has been growing concern by researchers.
I want to know are these constructions correct?
1.John has been doing this job for ten years
2. This job has been doing by John for 10 years
If yes what is their tense


texts:
I have some question about the preposition "from" here:

  Bradbury said Standard Parking’s subcontractor is expected to remove what’s left of the pile while cleaning up from a snowstorm that’s expected to start Wednesday.

I checked dictionaries and "from" has a lot of definitions, so I don't which one would fit here.  What does "from" mean here?  Maybe it is an error?


texts: What would one call a list of people to be killed?

texts: I know this sounds kinda morbid, but is there an english word for a list of people who are to be killed? Let's say, a hitman gets a list of targets, what would he call it? My first though was "hitlist", but I'm not really sure if this is an actual commonly used word or just a made-up term (there's a movie or something called The Hit List) that derivated from "hitman" as a synonym for "killer" ...


texts: “new songs with the authority that their old songs had...”

texts:
Q. On that tour, you performed a number of excellent songs you've still never released. I'm thinking of titles like Traces, Love-Art Blues and Pushed It Over The End. What happened to those songs?
A. Well they'll probably be out on the anthology too. Listen, if they'd had new songs with the authority that their old songs had, we could've knocked off four and five of mine so that just the best two surfaced... That would have truly been CSN&Y. But it wasn't to be, so the record never came out.

“ if they'd had new songs with the authority that their old songs had, we could've knocked off four and five of mine so that just the best two surfaced...”
Hello, could anyone help me understand what he’s saying above?
I don’t understand what “with the authority” really means in this context.
Is he saying that if new songs were as good as their old ones, they would have put these new songs on the album instead of four or five of his songs?


texts:
There are 2 women and 1 guy employed as receptionists at the hotel.

In the example above, does "employed as" apply to both women and guy, or just a guy?


texts: Can I use the word "where" as a Subordinating Conjunction which is not referring to a place or location?

texts:
I'm about to finish writing a thesis on technical topics. I'm contemplating, whether or not I'm using the word "where" correctly as a subordinating conjunction.

English is my second language.

Here are a couple of examples taken from my thesis. I'll appreciate your feedback regarding the correctness of these sentences, as well as general information/rules on the right usage of "where" in a sentence.

Example 1:

  Neglecting first its nonlinear effects, the fiber can be represented by means of its frequency response (here comes an equation with variables that have to be determined), where ω =2πf is the angular frequency in rad/s, α is the wavelength-dependent attenuation constant in Np/m, β ( ω ) is the phase constant in 1/m, and L is the length of the fiber (in m).

Example 2:

  The fibers can be roughly separated into two types, namely a multi-mode fiber and a single-mode fiber (SMF) [19], where the latter is considered in the remaining of this chapter.

Example 3:

  The phase response shows that the amount of dispersion depends both on the fiber length and the signal bandwidth, where the impact of CD grows linearly with the transmission length, but quadratically with the signal bandwidth.

Example 4:

  Fig. 2.2 shows the received signal on the complex plane for the three different scenarios, where the symbol transitions are illustrated in gray and the Baud-rate sampled constellation points in blue.

Example 5:

  The black dots denote the nodes of the network, and the blue lines are the connecting optical transmission links, where the investigated link path is highlighted in pink. (something tells me that in this case I should use "whereas" rather than "where"...).

Example 6:

  It is also possible to consider the equalization problem as an estimation problem, where the estimation error between the equalized and the transmitted sequence has to be minimized.

I've posted this question earlier in English Language Usage stack, since I was not sure where exactly to post it. I've found a very similar question here, but it gives only one example and the answers there do not give a concise rule...
I hope that the varity of my examples would lead to a better discussion.


texts: I have a question about a gerund ( V+ing )

texts:
I learned gerund couldn't be used this way - For example :

  Smoking that could be very harmful for my health is my big problem. (grammatically wrong)

= Smoking could be very harmful for my health + smoking is my big problem.

  Walking that I do everyday is my habit. (grammatically wrong)

  =  I walk everyday + walking is my habit.

Only with a none not a gerund.

Is it true ?

Because It makes sense at least for me.


texts: Why the sentence 'The garden looks a mess.' is the only possible way to phrase it in terms of the use of tenses?

texts:
According to Michael Swan in his Practical English Usage (Fully Revised 2005) 'To talk about a temporary appearance, we can use simple or progressive forms; there is not much difference in meaning. You look/are looking very unhappy. What's the matter?'

Is the mentioned above situation applicable to the sentence about the garden? I am pretty sure the use of Present Simple Tense is the only possible way to say it. Why? Why not?


texts: All of them are wearing an orange shirt. OR All of them are wearing orange shirts

texts:
Let's say there're three boys, and they all are in an orange shirt. Then, which one is correct?

A. All of them are wearing an orange shirt.

B. All of them are wearing orange shirts.

Of course, each of them is wearing ONE orange shirt, but because all of them are in a orange shirt, there're three orange shirts. So I'm confused.


texts: What is the difference - 'is doing' vs 'does'?

texts:
Could you please explain what is the difference between the followings and when one of them should be used instead of the another?

  My brother is doing a degree at university so I don't see him very
  often, unfortunately.

  My brother does a degree at university so I don't see him very
  often, unfortunately.


texts: What does "there you are" mean in this context?

texts:
Mr. Weasley was looking around. He loved everything to do with Muggles. Harry could see him itching to go and examine the television and the video recorder.

  "They run off eckeltricity, do they?" he said knowledgeably. "Ah yes,
  I can see the plugs. I collect plugs," he added to Uncle Vernon. "And
  batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks
  I'm mad, but there you are."

  Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr. Weasley was mad too.

According to Collins dictionary, "there you are" can mean:

  a. an expression used when handing a person something requested or desired

  b. an exclamation of triumph

It seems to me that the second meaning (b. an exclamation of triumph) might fit for the context, but I'm not quite sure. How should we understand "there you are" in this context?


texts: What does "Place two candles by your side." mean?

texts:
Place two candles by your side.

Does it mean one on either side, and another on another side?

Or does it mean something else?


texts: Confusing words in a economy news report: alone, on top of, absent

texts:
The report also highlights the rapid growth of export financing from
  three Asian competitors: Korea, Japan and China. These countries
  provided significantly more export-credit support to their respective
  domestic companies and industries than did the United States in 2013.

  In addition, the report underscores two trends: unregulated
  competition is expanding and commercial banks have largely withdrawn
  from pockets of the export-finance arena, including providing support
  for small businesses. The United States faces more robust competition
  from export-credit agencies offering terms that are not regulated by
  the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
  which encourages global export competition based on free-market
  principles and mutually agreed-upon standards. For example, Ex-Im Bank
  support for all of its $15 billion in medium- and long-term
  financing was regulated by the OECD Arrangement, but other OECD member
  countries offered more than $60 billion alone of unregulated
  export financing support (on top of $83 billion in export
  financing governed by the OECD Arrangement).

  Nations that are not subject to the OECD framework, including Brazil,
  Russia, India and China, provided $115 billion in trade-related
  financing. Unregulated support totaled substantially more than all
  OECD-regulated support, a trend the report expects to continue and one
  which is poised to place U.S. exporters at a competitive disadvantage
  absent the tools made available by Ex-Im Bank.

  -- Export-Import Bank Report to Congress: Aggressive, Unregulated Financing from Foreign Competitors is Costing U.S. Jobs Source

Does alone modify $60 billion? And according to the bracketed sentence, $60 billion is on top of $83 billion? I think I misunderstand it, but I'm quite confused by these inconsistent numbers.

In addition, absent seems to be acting as a preposition here. If not, I think it should be absent from. Is it a typo?


texts:
I'm wondering if both of the following ways are possible.

  Thank you for confirming my place on the English course STARTING July 5th.

  Thank you for confirming my place on the English course WHICH starts July 5th.

Can somebody tell me the difference in meaning or any other aspect between them? Is it just that one way is more formal than the other?

I have come across many articles in newspapers and books indicating the event which will take place with a verb ending in ing.

As Spanish is my mother toungue, we would literaly say " I have  a meeting THAT starts at seven o'clock. " I have a meeting WHICH starts at seven o'clock ( this one is more formal). or "I have a meeting STARTING at seven o'clock " . But among the three,  starting is by far the less common.

Can someone tell me the only possible ways in English and which one is more common?


texts: How could I use the have+p.p in sentence?

texts:
Hi I am curious about the usage "have +p.p"
So I tried make some example. But I'm not sure which is wrong or right.

I have experienced since 7 years at Microsoft as engineer.
I have more than 7 years of experience at Microsoft as engineer.
I have been working at Microsoft as engineer, more than 7 years
I have been working at Microsoft as engineer since 7 years.

Would you please let me know what exactly the usage of have+p.p?


texts:
I'm reading a fund portfolio and it says "Performance is gross of fees."

So if performance = 10%
and fees = 0.1%

does that mean that the real performance is 10% or 9.9%?


texts:
"My cat jumped on the chair" means that the cat jumped up and down on top of the chair. The same thing goes with "jump on the horse". But, why is it okay to say "jump on the bandwagon" and not " jump onto the bandwagon"? Unless the idiom describes the movement of jumping while the person is on the bandwagon, which doesn't really seem to correspond the actual meaning of the idiom.

One of the reasons that I am confused by this is because this comment: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/on-and-onto.202558/

  Onto generally describes the action of movement onto another thing.

  Please put the plates onto the table.
  My cat jumped onto my chair.

  On can also take the second meaning, however, one must be careful of its use.

  Please put the plates on the table.  This means the same as Please put the plates onto the table.

  However,

  My cat jumped on my chair means that the cat is jumping up and down on top of the chair. In this instance, we must use onto if we want to describe the movement from the floor onto the chair."


texts:
I'm watching Disney Sitcom "Good Luck Charlie" and there's episode about family's future. old charlie came back in time machine and talk to baby charlie about future. and I can't understand this conversation.

BABY: What's Gabe(charlie's older brother) doing?

OLD: eight to 10

There's no related conversation front and back of this dialogue. Audiences just laughed at this. I can't find any more context to this.
Does doing 8 to 10 mean something special?
I googled it and some people talking about years, hours. I can't find any idioms.
Does it mean he works 8 to 10 hours? or is he doing time in jail?


texts: What does it mean by approach, method, principle, technique in ELT?

texts:
According to Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics:

.

  approach n
  in language teaching, the theory, philosophy and principles underlying a particular set of teaching practices.

  Language teaching is sometimes discussed in terms of three related aspects:
  approach, method, and technique.

  Different theories about the nature of language and how languages are learned
  (the approach) imply different ways of teaching language (the method), and different methods make use of different kinds of classroom activity (the
  technique).

  Examples of different approaches are the aural–oral approach (see audiolingual method), the cognitive code approach, the communicative approach, etc. Examples of different methods which are based on a particular approach are the audiolingual method, the direct method, etc.

  Examples of techniques used in particular methods are drills, dialogues,
  role-plays, sentence completion, etc.

.

  method n
  (in language teaching) a way of teaching a language which is
  based on systematic principles and procedures, i.e. which is an
  application of views on how a language is best taught and learned and
  a particular theory of language and of language learning.

  Different methods of language teaching such as the direct method, the
  audiolingual method, total physical response result from different
  views of: a the nature of language b the nature of second language
  learning c goals and objectives in teaching d the type of syllabus to
  use e the role of teachers, learners, and instructional materials f
  the activities, techniques and procedures to use.

.

  principles1 n
  in teaching, beliefs and theories that teachers hold
  concerning effective approaches to teaching and learning and which
  serve as the basis for some of their decision-making.

  For example,
    Make the lesson learner-centered.
    Every learner is a genius.
    Provide opportunities for active learner participation.

  Teachers’ principles are an important aspect of their belief systems and may be
  a result of teaching experience, training, or their own experiences as
  learners.

.

  technique n
  in teaching, a specific procedure for carrying out a teaching activity, such as
  the ways a teacher corrects students’ errors or sets up group activities.
  see approach

I haven't understood these definitions.

They seemed to be recursive. For instance, APPROACH makes use of "principle" to define itself, on the other hand, PRINCIPLE makes use of "approach" to define itself.

Where can I find better definitions?


texts: What is the difference between the prepositions 'for' and 'because of'?

texts:
I looked up the definition of 'for' in the dictionary and one of them says:

'for' = 'because of'.

I asked this question a few times and people told me there is difference. But the dictionary and hearing/reading tell me the other way round.
I think they are interchangeable, but is there any specific rule I should know about how to know when to use them?
Examples:

1.He's remembered(for/because of) his novels.
2.My parents tried to put me in therapy(for/because of)their divorce.
3.I didn't say anything(for/because of) the fear of offending him.
4.My flight was delayed(for/because of) bad weather.

PS:I have heard/read all of these examples with 'for' being used so I thought I could also use 'because of' instead, for the reason I gave before.


texts: Which one is correct of the two sentences?

texts:
you have to do it right from the start
you have to do it right from the  beginning

which one is correct? if both, are they both natural to use while speaking?


texts: "Speak a first language" vs. "speak in a first language"

texts:
I though that speak in a first language was incorrect, but in one of his books Scott Thurnbury, namely How To Teach Speaking, uses the preposition in in there. Here is the passage:

Of course, the knowledge base for speaking in a first language is largely intuitive: it's not something a person is normally sufficiently aware of to be able to describe.

What is the difference between speak a first language and speak in a first language?


texts: How to choose a proper contraction "it's not" versus "it isn't"?

texts:
I'm aware that both it's not and it isn't are contractions of the same phrase, it is not.

Till today, I was convinced that choosing them depends on desired emphasis. This way, choosing it's not allows one to make an emphatic stress on not:

  It's NOT my fault!

...and other than that it's just a matter of style, not grammar.

Recently, I was watching Monty Python's "Argument Clinic":

  M: An argument isn't just contradiction.
  A: It can be.
  M: No it can't. An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.
  A: No it isn't.
  M: Yes it is! It's not just contradiction.
  A: Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position.
  M: Yes, but that's not just saying 'No it isn't.'
  A: Yes it is!
  M: No it isn't!

I was surprised they have never used it's not during the whole sketch.
This confused me a lot as it opposed my prior understanding: two people contradicting each other would rather use it's not.
More than that, at 01:42 they have used you did NOT and then you DIDN'T, which must indicate that the latter is more pathetic than the former.

So, how to choose a proper contraction between "it's not" versus "it isn't"? Which one is more emphatic, and how come a contracted variant looks more pathetic than the expanded one?


texts: To become (a)... Usage of the indefinite article

texts:
His ambition is to become a musician.
  She became queen in 1952.
  How
  to be governor

In what cases do we use the indefinite article in expressions with "be", "become" and when we don't?


texts: what's the difference between "undoubtedly" and "naturally"?

texts:
The experts still have a long way to go to explore new sources of energy. Naturally, they have to work even harder.

Can I use "undoubtedly" in this sentence instead of "naturally"?


texts: Is it necessary to use a relative pronoun before the verb 'given' in this sentence?

texts:
"The form and consequences of conformity influence should undergo significant changes given the interposition of a medium that reduces the social presence of participants."

The core message of the sentence above, I understand in these ways in my own words:

"The aura/nature/perception of conformity should change the way which is perceived as to be caught in the middle in a (or some) point that reduces the social presence of participants."
"The aura/nature/perception of conformity, which is perceived as to be caught in the middle in a (or some) point that reduces the social presence of participants, should change."

Question #1: I am not sure whether my two explanations are correct.

I think this 'given' verb messed up my mind. I guess there was a relative pronoun before 'given' such as: (changes + that given), (changes + which given), (changes + were given), (changes + that were given), (changes + which were given), (changes + that to be given), (changes + which to be given) and lastly (changes + to be given).

Question #2: And in my sentences I wrote (...perceived as TO BE caught...) So was this infinitive form in the sentences wrong, inadequate or unnecessary?

Thanks in advance for the answers.


texts: "We don't suppose to have" Vs. "We are not supposed to have"

texts:
My friend asked me about how to refer correctly to the cancellation of a class on Monday. The choices were:

  1) We don't supposed to have class on Monday.

This choice was rejected since "don't" doesn't go together with "supposed" - they are in two different tenses.

  2) We don't suppose to have class on Monday.

About this choice, even it looks grammatically correct I'm really having droughts about that if it does really pass the mentioned message, therefore I'm not sure if I can reject this choice or not.

  3) We are not supposed to have class on Monday.

This is the way that I would choice naturally.

Is the second mentioned choice correct in that context or it is not?


texts: Is it correct to say "take me on the way"

texts:
I want to express that I learning some courses will give me a good vision in a specific field.

Can I say like "these courses take me on the way to the statistics"?


texts: Past continuous use for something that's accomplished

texts:
The girl said, "Oh I thought Danny was giving me his scarf because it was so special, but he gave me it because he doesn't support United any more!"

Why past continuous here? Is it because it is a regret? It is not a continuous action, it is completed because the girl has the scarf.


texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between "bring on" and "bring about" in the sense of causing someone? For example:

The pandemic has brought about/brought on a lot of change.
The desease can bring about/bring on some complications.


texts: Reducing the verb at the beginning of a sentence// dictionary form

texts:
I was reading a dictionary a few moments ago and I found this doubt in the meaning of this word.

  being the person, animal, thing, or idea which is nearby, esp. closer than something else.
  being the person, animal, thing, or idea just mentioned or otherwise understood.

Here, my doubt is the correct usage of the verb "to be" in its reduced form "being", instead "It is" just like in reduced relative pronouns case, example:

-The young lady who is over there is my girl friend. (complete relative pronoun sentence).

-The young lady being over there is my girlfriend. (reduced relative pronoun sentence).

I know that the verb "to be" is very irregular on conjugating it, but I would like to know whether it is correct to reduce the verb "to be" at the beginning of sentence.


texts:
We walked all over paris for 5 hours wondering and tasting food .
I’d like to know the meaning of wondering in this sentence.


texts: Can we say, "The audio hears" the way we say, "The diary reads"

texts:
I know this is possible:

  The detective recovered a personal diary from the scene of crime. The diary reads - "I'm committing suicide"

But then what if it's an audio tape?

  The detective recovered an audio tape from the scene of crime. The audio tape hears....

The thing that comes to my mind is ...

  ...audio tape says...

But then, why 'say' and not 'hear'?

The verb attached to book is 'read' because we 'read' it. So, we 'hear' tape, not 'say' something to tape!


texts: Idiom for feeling after taking risk and someone else being rewarded

texts: Is there an English idiom about describing the feelings of ones who work hard, get risk and finally achieved it but the others are being promoted and get all benefits as if they did it?


texts:
It is from Crash Course US history. It is at around 30 second. Here is the context:

  Mr. Green, Mr. Green, if it is really that simple, I am so getting an A in this class.


texts: Overuse of "of the" while translating text from Spanish into English

texts:
I have noticed that while rendering Spanish text into English, I tend to overuse the construction "of the". I vaguely recall hearing or reading once that the (abuse?) of the said construction is kind of frowned-upon in English.

How do you usually cope with this issue?

In certain cases, one can easily find a way to get round this construction ("la casa del ladrón" -> "The thief's house" or "The thief's place" instead of "the house of the thief"); yet, in certain occasions, it is not at all clear how to proceed ("son derechos de los estudiantes de pregrado de la Universidad del País Vasco" -> "among the rights of the undergrads of the University of the Basque Country")...

Please, let me thank you in advance for your replies.


texts:
In a TV show I am watching, I just came across a strange expression :

[...] you're just wandering about.

I don't understand at all. What is the about for?


texts:
I came across this phrase in the first Chapter of The Long Goodbye (written by Raymond Chandler). Is it an idiom? Or something indecent? Here is the context:

  "Sure," he said cynically. "Why waste it on a lush? Them curves and all."

  "You know him?"

  "I heard the dame call him Terry. Otherwise I don't know him from a cow's caboose. But I only been here two weeks."


texts: “Are” vs. “is” after “parents and the family”

texts:
I was reading the news on Yahoo and found a mistake (as per my opinion). I need your valuable feedback to make sure if it was a mistake or I am wrong! It is a paragraph on Yahoo. Please check and let me know.

On Yahoo:

  There has been a shift of power, control and decision making from the
  parents and elders of the family to the individuals themselves. That
  is not saying that parents and the family is not involved in the
  decision, but there is much more emphasis placed on what the
  individuals want, what they are looking for and who they will be
  compatible with.

As per my opinion:

  There has been a shift of power, control and decision making from the
  parents and elders of the family to the individuals themselves. That
  is not saying that parents and the family are not involved in the
  decision, but there is much more emphasis placed on what the
  individuals want, what they are looking for and who they will be
  compatible with.

Thanks in advance.


texts: How should I respond to a request to join our team?

texts:
A person would like to join our team and I also would like to have him on board. How might I respond to his request mail?

Would this be correct?

  It'd be a great pleasure for us you joining our team.


texts: What tense is this sentence in? "Having had"

texts:
What tense is this sentence in?

  For those who are already teaching without having had specific training and for practiced teachers ...

Is it a special structure?
What would happen if I removed "had"?
What are other alternatives?


texts: Ask interviewee if he/she is has started having lunch / has already eaten or not

texts:
I need to create a questionnaire. I have a question with double-choice answer "YES/NO". I want the interviewee to answer:

Yes: if the interviewee is currently having lunch or the user has already had lunch
No: if the interviewee hasn't had lunch yet

A possible question might be: "Did you start your lunch yet?"

Did you think the question would be appropriate and grammatically correct? Would you use another expression? I want the most concise question possible (ideally no subordinates), and I also want it to be clear. Please note that the interviewees would be American not British.

I think other expressions such as "Have you had your lunch yet?" are not completely correct given my requirements.

Thanks!