texts:
I am curious about an English sentence, I've read in the  German.Stackexchange:

Someone wrote

  What's the height on that tree? (Authour: J_LV)

and after some discussion

  user6191: There's height on the tree?

  J_LV: There's height on the tree?
  You do not seem to understand the phrase "What's the height on that tree?" correctly. It's a different usage of the word "on" than what you're thinking of. And it's not incorrect either although I can perfectly understand why it would confuse a fellow German. I'd however still advise you to do your research prior to humorously implying that I misused a word.

the sentence was edited by another stack exchange user to

  What's the height of this tree?

I'm confused by the discussion and cannot find an reliable reference to "being height on". Is it also correct to say What's the height on that tree?


texts:
Does trade-off for within:

  Usage: The negative feedback also increases the input impedance of the amplifier as seen from the base, which can be advantageous. Due to the gain reduction from feedback, this biasing form is used only when the trade-off for stability is warranted.

mean the configuration is used only when stability is warranted?


texts: Why is the correct answer "invaluable" instead of "priceless"?

texts:
In this test, the right answer is invaluable:

  The new GPS is ________. I don't know how we managed without it before.

  priceless
  worthy
  invaluable
  valueless

Is priceless wrong? If yes, why?


texts:
Am I correct about this?
"I have been exercising today" probably means just once today, with a duration.
"I have been exercising this week" means I have exercised multiple times this week.


texts: the meaning of "lumped" in "lumped drag coefficient"

texts: I'm facing problem with the meaning of this word lumped in a scientific context. For example, lumped drag coefficient. I've looked at its definition in Longman Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary and Dictionary.com but I couldn't understand its meaning. I'm not asking about its meaning from physics perspective, I'm asking about its meaning for English speakers who are not physicists. What do they understand? I know what drag and coefficient mean but with lumped, I'm not able to picture its meaning. Any suggestions


texts: Nevertheless or notwithstanding, which is correct?

texts:
The school is strict about hair styles; (　　　), some students break the rules.

The correct answer is supposed to be nevertheless. But can't notwithstanding also be correct in this sentence? Can someone explain why not? Thank you.


texts: Can I omit "of it" in the following sentence?

texts:
"So in the end I decided to keep this hobby to myself, as well as
  the information I'd gathered about it. By then, I had a massive
  amount of it, enough to fill a closet.

Can I remove the "of it"? Will the sentence still be grammatical?


texts:
I am under impression that native English writers rarely (compared to e.g. Russian) use quotes to express irony, but often explicitly write "so called ...".

What about usage of quotes of irony in English? Is it in fact rarer than in Russian?


texts: Say there are two people waiting in an airport lobby. Each of them has a suite case. Which is correct - Both have suite cases OR Both have a suite case?


texts:
By the end of this month, you would have already worked fifty hours.
If I had known it earlier, I would have helped you.

It looks like: the first would is "future from now" and second would is "future from past".
the same form of "would have pp" starts from a different time standard.
I had thought the first 'would' would be used as a different form like: "will have pp" for the future perfect from now.


texts: "this is/was the first thing that I noticed/notice": which one is correct?

texts:
Which of the sentences is grammatically and meaningfully correct?

  This was the first thing that I noticed

or

  This is the first thing that I noticed

or

  This was the first thing that I notice

What is the difference between the first and the third sentence in terms of meaning?


texts: "any other verbs then being located in VP" -- is this acceptable?

texts:
if the sentence you are analysing contains a modal verb, then it is positioned in ‘I’,any other verbs then being located in VP.
    (English Syntax and Argumentation - Bas Aarts)

At first, I think the The bold clause should be "...is located..." but then I realize it might be in the form of a non-finite clause (ing clause with a subject) but I'm not sure. If it isn't, how you describe this usage? Is this common in English?


texts:
Let's say you are giving an opinion on some girls about them as peeping tom.

  ''Although girls are known to be demure, they can be peeping toms sometimes.

Is this grammatical?

P.S:what I wanted to say is they also can spy on other guys intentionally, with sexual gratification.


texts:
I'd like to know what is omitted between "but" and "nothing to . . ." in the following sentence. Is the second sentence correct?

Phil was making a living as a writer, but nothing to set the Thames on fire.

John invited many friends to Mary's party, but nothing special.


texts:
I don't know why the writer use 'to' before verb 'trust'.
Following is the pattern used in a verb 'trust'

  "trust somebody to do something"

Now, why we use 'to' before trust?

  The managers did not know whom to trust.


texts:
The house is made of brick.

  The whooper is made of a beef patty.

The first is correct, but the second I am not sure, because when I hear "made of" I think "is mostly constituted of". We can say that a house is mostly constituted of bricks, but we can't say that a burger is mostly constituted of a beef patty. Is there any implication behind the phrasal verb "made of"?


texts:
What is the meaning of this phrase?

  Mr. Jones was to have spoken at the meeting, but we had to cancel it because of his illness.

Does this mean:

He was scheduled to speak at the meeting?
Someone wanted to speak to him at the meeting?


texts: Why do people prefer using "will be doing" form(future continuous) when they can use just "will do"(simple future)?

texts:
I get confused several times, especially in speaking English, when I hear more and more native English speaker prefer to use "be doing" form. When I attend a class the instructor may say "We will be talking about XXX in this class" instead of just simply saying "We will talk about XXX in this class".

And I see this today:

  I’ll be showing you how to make a simple Chrome extension dashboard
  from scratch.

from this blog. I thought that would just be simply:

  I’ll show you how to make a simple Chrome extension dashboard
  from scratch.

So why do they bother to use the future continuous tense when they can just use simple future tense?


texts: Can we use 'Before she died, she has won several awards'? We  know that she died and she had won awards and she has been given several awards since she died.(still taking )


texts: the meaning of 'She knew it for a fault'

texts:
She would presume to censure my own conduct, and press on me advice in
  matters well beyond her understanding, and give me such words as no
  poor man would willingly hear from his wife.’

  Cranmer says, ‘She was bold, it is true. She knew it for a fault
  and would try to bridle herself.’

  Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

What does the bold sentence mean? She knew it to be a fault?


texts: "at the start of a project" vs "at a start of a project"

texts:
Which article is correct in the following sentence (if any):

Requirements must be defined at the/a start of a project.

If "the" is correct, then could you please explain why? Why do we need an article here at all?


texts: Word meaning "to walk angrily with long steps without giving respect other people"

texts:
Is there a single word(verb) to describe the action "to walk angrily with long steps without giving respect other people"?

I found these three words which seem to be a close match for what I'm looking for: swagger, strut and stride. But I'm not sure which one of these I should use, or is there another other word that's better?


texts: "Before 23th June" or "before 23th of June"

texts:
What is the correct form to refer to dates?

  "I need it before 23th June"

or

  "I need it before 23th of June"


texts: is 'playing on mini basketball hoop alone' playing basketball?

texts:
I saw my friend's six-year-old son playing on this door mini basketball hoop alone at home. It came to me, "Is it right to call this playing basketball in English?" at the same time I thought of some who go around the yard having a basketball while bouncing it against the ground like they're dribbling with no hoop around. "Can I call this playing basket ball?"

And while we're on it, I'm also interested in a possible word to describe the occassion when two players play on one hoop together. Is it simply basketball, too?

I thought maybe I can call these three descriptions practicing basketball but I'm not sure and I think practicing implies there is a game ahead and they're getting ready for it or something, plus I really would like to know how native speakers naturally describe these in English. Also I thought of playing hoops I checked it and hoops means basketball so I'm back to square 1.


texts: What is the reason why we should put 'the' after preposition like ' in the room'?

texts:
I learned that we use definite article 'the' to tell A from B.
But I don't understand the reason why we put 'the' after preposition like ' in the room.'
I would like to know whether We should put 'the' after a preposition to tell the room from other room that we don't know or to tell the room from other kinds of space like a classroom.
Please, give me the answer.


texts: One of is followed by plural noun/pronoun and singular helping verb

texts:
One of the boys who always give/gives the correct answer is Samuel.

As per rule, one of is followed by plural noun/pronoun and singular helping verb, so we should be using gives in the sentence. But the answer is give.


texts:
We often say or write, "It is hard to believe."

Similarly, would it be correct if we say "He is hard to believe" to mean that whatever he is saying is hard to believe?

I am getting confused here?


texts: Can someone explain to me what are the subject and the object in this sentence?

texts:
Example 1:

  Some of the grain appears to be contaminated.

Why the subject is "some" and not "Grain"?

Example 2:

  Pierre puts a lot of garlic in his food.

The subject here is "Pierre," but what is the indirect and direct object?
Is "Puts a lot of garlic" the indirect object? And "food" a direct object?

I am very confused about subjects, direct objects, and indirect objects. Sometimes just "man" by itself is a subject. Sometimes "a man" is.

Help me.


texts:
I'm wondering if "would" is used properly in the following, or "will" should be used instead.

A: Where's John now?

B: I don't know for certain. He would be at home now.

A: When will John come back?

B: I don't know for certain. He would be back by seven. / He would have come back by seven.

I'm thinking about Merriam-Webster's definition:
9: COULD
the barrel would hold 20 gallons
10: used in auxiliary function to express doubt or uncertainty the explanation … would seem satisfactory
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would


texts:
I have been watching TV series (Forever), And there was the following dialog:

  Lucas: Isn't ordinary death exciting enough for you?
  Henry:  Perhaps you've become desensitized with all your little comics.
  Lucas: Graphic novels, Doc.

later in the same episode, the two terms were used by different people a lot of times to described the following:

My question: Should I call them comics or Graphic books?

Note: I checked some dictionaries, it seems the difference is the size of the story.


texts: What difference does the use of past progressive make?

texts:
It rained at noon.
It was raining at noon.
I slept at 5 o'clock yesterday.
I was sleeping at 5 yesterday.

Actually, I seem to understand progressive quite well. But what is about the correct use of the past?


texts: What is the comparative and superlative form of the word "proper" exactly?

texts:
I have seen both "properer,the properest" and "more proper, the most proper" in my reading, though they are all quite rare to see.

I am wondering what is the exact comparative and superlative form of "proper" ,or if it has any comparative and superlative forms.


texts: I read a sentence  written by my friend, does this sentence sound naturally?  the sentence is :'if you use your selling skill at your working as a saleman, its your ability,but if you use it to make up rumors,to set up others,to hide the  evil ,to rewrite the truth, it is your sin, and dont  you believe the punishment will come at u one day?     I think some phrase usage is not proper here, but I where, would u please check it?


texts:
Photosynthesis is considered by many to be the most important
    biological process on Earth. It is the process that captures
    essentially all energy for our ecosystem. Photosynthesis involves the
    highest energy processes of life; it is the process where (by far)
    most of the energy in our ecosystem is input. All other biological
    processes are exergonic (they lose the energy captured by
    photosynthesis) ― and thus all other processes involve less energy
    than photosynthesis. It is also the process where, by far, the most
    energy in our ecosystem is lost. Because the intermediates of
    photosynthesis are so reactive (and therefore dangerous),
    photosynthetic organisms must prevent their buildup by dissipating
    “excess” light energy. At full sunlight, regulatory dissipation can
    involve more than 75% of absorbed light energy. Consequently, typical
    agricultural crops store only about 1 % of their absorbed solar energy
    in the form of biomass.

  Biology: The Dynamic Science, Volume 1, Units 1 & 2 By Peter J.
  Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan

Isn't 'by far' used with the superlative form? I've heard and read 'by far the most' many times but not 'by far most'. Is it just a typo?


texts: can we say: "The peak is leaded by U.S." (and other variants)

texts:
Let's say we are talking about the values of something (between different nations) and U.S. has the higher value between them.

Could we say:

  The peak is leaded by U.S. with

  U.S. leads with

  The peak is by U.S.

Is any of these wrong? What would you use? (where a formal style is preferred).

note: the values are expressed by a chart using percentages

edit:
e.g.: how many citizen use a smartphone


texts: Why has "father" been capitalized in the sentence "I think I'll bully Father into getting me one"?

texts:
Why is "father" in capitalized in the following sentence?

  "I think I'll bully Father into getting me one.

"Father" has once been mentioned before in the following:

  My father's next door buying my books.

Is "Father" a proper noun here? Why hasn't the author used "my father" instead of "Father" in the first sentence?

More context is here:

  "My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then
  I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why
  first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting
  me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."


texts:
A day is the exact length of time it takes the earth to turn around one time.
  A year is the length of time the earth takes to travel around the sun one time.
  The Egyptians did not think about these scientific facts.
  For them, 12 of their 30-day months made a year, but 360 days do not make a full year.

  What did they do about these problems?
  They made a five-day holiday at the end of each year.
  But even adding five holidays did not make the Egyptians' yearly calendar right.
  It takes the earth a little more than 365 days to travel around the sun.
  To be exact, it takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds.
  For a long time people did not add these extra hours and minutes and seconds.

Explain it to me why "and" is used between "hours and minutes" instead of comma.


texts:
In The Old Guard (2020), Andy injured by gun shot:

Dr Meta: I need to get a line in her and stop the  bleeding.
Merrick: Keep her alive at all costs.

What does "get a line in" mean?


texts: "Help me debug" vs "Help me debugging" vs "Help me in debugging"

texts:
I asked a question on SO, and I wrote

  Yesterday I asked a question so that you could help me debug a program...

Then I felt like the italic part isn't actually correct English, and I thought that the correct expression would be

Help me debugging or help me in debugging a program

Which of the three are correct? If more than one, which one sounds more familiar? What's the general case rule when we have "help" followed by another verb (like in my case above)?


texts:
I used non trivial and a grammar correction website shows it is wrong and should be either non-trivial or nontrivial.

  x appears in a non trivial number of pages

Or

  x appears in a non-trivial number of pages

Or

  x appears in a nontrivial number of pages


texts: How do I express this? "Did it (to) you?"

texts:
Suppose I encountered a unique product yesterday and I'm very impressed. I'm now meeting my friend after two days. She has also seen the product.

  Yeah! That product really stunned me. _________________?

Fill in the blank. I want to ask her whether or not she too got stunned.

My confusion -

  Did it you? (Considering that product did stun me).   Did it to you? (Someone suggested this, though I'm not convinced).

Please mind it, I don't want to repeat the word stunned.


texts: Help explaining "Where am I?" vs "...where I am"

texts:
I would like to explain to a non-native girlfriend that it's correct to say "Where am I?" on its own as a question, but if you want to say "Can you guess where I am?" or "Do you know where I am?" or "I don't know where I am" then the word order is flipped around.

Although I am native I don't have any idea why this grammar is what it is, so I'd really appreciate any help explaining it.


texts:
(I've checked this link, but didn't get what I want.)

  The first to strike is a sandstorm as blinding and deadly as any northern blizzard.
  The first that strikes is a sandstorm as blinding and deadly as any northern blizzard.

(The original sentence is the one 'to' in it, and the other is made up by me, so there might be any grammatical issue.)

What's the difference here? And I've seen so many times that the news papers usually use "noun + to + verb" sentences, such as "President Donald Trump to visit Iowa in June". It seems to me like the sentence is not finished. Why didn't they put that like "President Donald Trump who is going to visit Iowa in June", or just "President Donald Trump will visit Iowa in June"?


texts:
I saw a conversation between two native speakers in one of the groups on Discord in which I came across this message that I can't wrap my head around:

A: When John said "I adore you" to me, it went right through me.

"A" is a female and John is her boyfriend. Her boyfriend told her "I adore you" and she brought it up in a group and said "it went right through me".
While looking up the meaning of "go through someone", The Free Dictionary gives 12 meanings for "go through somebody" and none of the meanings seems appropriate to me. The meanings given in Collins Dictionary and Longman Dictionary don't seem apt either.
Does the sentence mean that it pleased me? Or does it have another meaning that I don't know? Can anyone explain it please?


texts:
I wrote this sentence (actually, part of it ;)

  Similar problems may arise if a voiceless plosive /p/ is understood as a voiced plosive /b/ then a ‘pour’ becomes a ‘bore’. It is especially the case for the Arabic language where there is no sound for /p/.

I used "where" because I used "the case" before it. I hope it doesn't refer to the "Arabic language"?! does my construction convey what I mean?

Actually, I am asking about the reference of "where" in the sentence. Because a language is not a location! then it must refer to the "case". For example probably I couldn't say:

  In Arabic where there is no sound for /p/, a "pour" may be perceived a "bore"


texts: Is "Though tired he was, he played well" correct?

texts:
So I was searching on the internet to look for how to use "although" and "though." Then I saw a page that said "Though tired he was, he played well."
Is this grammatically correct?


texts:
In this video, the narrator is saying, from 1:29～

"President and Nielson will be meeting there tonight and though the president undercut her path, it seems by this point he is fed up."

From Merriam Unabridged, there are 8 meanings,

  transitive verb

  1
  :  to cut away the underpart of

  2
  :  to cut away material from the underside of (an object) so as to leave an overhanging portion in relief

  :  cut free from beneath

  3
  a :  to offer to sell at lower prices than or to work for lower wages or serve for lower fees than (a competitor)
  b :  to accept or offer to accept a lower scale of (prices or wages) than is standard or general
  c :  to have in gin rummy a count as low as or lower than the count of (the knocker)

  4
  a :  to cut (a book cover) in stamping with an improperly prepared die
  b :  to hollow out or trim off a part of (a stamping die) to reduce impression pressure

  5
  :  to eat under laterally so as to leave without proper support — used of the action of etching acid on the lines of a printing surface

  6
  :  to cut obliquely into (a tree) below the main cut and on the side toward which the tree will fall

  7
  :  to strike (the ball) in golf, tennis, or hockey obliquely downward so as to give a backspin or elevation to the shot

  8
  :  to cut from (a forest) less timber than the growth warrants or less than the estimated annual cut

Which definition would this phrasal verb ? fall under and what could that mean?

Could this mean the president has not ear to listen to Keitjen Nielson?

I appreciate your support in advance.


texts: Have {reached / come / got} to class 6th

texts:
My brother is not focusing on his study properly.

Which of the sentences I would say?

  You need to pay more attention as you have reached to class 6th.

  You need to pay more attention as you have come to class 6th.

  You need to pay more attention as you have got to class 6th.


texts: Usage of "accumulation" in this sentence

texts:
I found a sentence in this scientific article (last-but-one pharagraph) I have trouble with understanding it:

  In addition we think the accumulation that there is energy in the
  centre of light beam of Bessell where energy is lower in intensity.

It just seems broken english to me. AFAIK, "accumulation" means gradual gathering, so I'd expect the structure be like "the accumulation that (...) results in (...)" But the second half seems to be missing. (and to me the tense of the whole pharagraph seems to be off...)

Could you explain me what they wanted to say there?

edit: never mind, that article is 100% rubbish as is.

Context:

  However, the ability of Bessell’s light beam is cutting quality and
  side wall shape and receiving quite good result. In fact, it
  contributes to dispersing and accumulating energy to the laser orbit
  of large area that the pulse width of second flies. In addition, we
  think the accumulation that there is energy in the centre of light
  beam of Bessell where energy is lower in intensity. Prove very
  successful to make the stealthy cut of the sapphire with Bessell’s
  light beam too.


texts:
To deliver sporting competitions, as well as maintain a legacy for
  residents and tourists, a variety of services are required.

I looked up a dictionary if legacy could be interpreted as "facilities", but couldn't find it. I think the below meaning would be the most appropriate for this context, but the definition is somewhat vague. What does "legacy" exactly mean in this context?

  something such as a tradition or problem that exists as a result of
  something that happened in the past (https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/legacy)


texts:
what's the meaning of 'stretch' here?

"one of the questions that assists in preparing daily action list:

Is there anything else that may yield tangible results that I can do something towards today?(The 'stretch' element)"


texts: What is the exact meaning of the question "Where do you come from"?

texts:
It is constructed in present simple. So it asks where I am coming from in general. How one can answer this question?

I know this question is correctly asked but I can't understand its meaning or what purpose it serves to. Can someone explain?

Note: I read Difference between "where are you from" and "where do you come from". It mainly concerns about differences, so it doesn't answer my question. It is not a duplicate.


texts: "Percentage of people who ... but ..." sentences

texts:
"Suppose that the percentage of people who were not tested but had the coronavirus is 1/4 that of those who were tested and had the coronavirus"
What is the correct way to interpret the subject of this sentence?
A) The percentage of (people) who (were not tested but had the coronavirus)
or
B) The percentage of (people who were not tested) but (had the coronavirus)
I believe B) is incorrect because it doesn't make sense to take the percentage of people BUT [insert verb]. You can only take the percentage of people WHO [insert verb].
My math teacher doesn't care much about grammar though...
EDIT: can someone tell me why I'm being downvoted?


texts:
This feature must be existed in all products.

This feature must be presented in all products.

vs

This feature must exist in all products.

This feature must present in all products.

Which are grammatical?


texts: Difficulty finding vs Difficulty in finding

texts:
I have difficulty finding my socks in the morning.
I have difficulty in finding my socks in the morning.

Are both the sentences correct? Is there any difference between them?


texts:
No.1 is the example sentence of "storm" in my dictionary.

  Did that storm wake you up last night?
  Did you wake up last night because of that storm?

I feel like no.1 is an expression making fun of the other person.

Is there a difference between using a person and using something other than a person as the subject in a sentence?


texts: Word for the sound of soft blowing air from an air purifier

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe the sound coming from an air purifier. The purifier sucks in air through a filter, then blows the air back out of its top. The sound is similar to a quietly running air conditioner.
Similar words:

hum: the sound does not have a tone, it's very airy
hiss: the sound is not as high-pitched as a hiss
puff: puff describes a short release of air, but the sound is continuous.

I prefer a single English word, but a word from another language is okay if there is no english word to describe what I hear.


texts: What is the word for a personality quality or gesture that someone does over and over?

texts: I'm currently stumped trying to remember the word for when someone does something or says something in a consistent manner as part of their personality. For example, my friend Sam always shrugs his shoulders high and smiles when my coworkers ask him redundant questions. I wanna say that's his personality quip or gesture but I know that's not the right word. I feel like it starts with a P but I could be wrong.


texts:
Let's say your giving a compliment to bazaar sellers.

  You:''bazaar is a smart move for the sellers. It teaches them to be productive by selling things, rather than just stock clothes in their house, and which they may not be using anymore''....

Is the bold clause grammatical? Pls. Help


texts:
It is always said:

  Air conditioners sell well in the summer months.

Could are sold well be used here ?


texts: When using semicolon for two ind.clauses, does parenthetical citation apply to the full sentence?

texts:
I have a technical question.

In the following sentence, the in-text citation in parenthetical needs to be applied to the whole sentence. I am not sure if a semicolon separating the two clauses makes the citation apply itself to only the second clause.

  But the regional unemployment rate is not an appropriate indicator of an individual’s employment prospects; and differentiating access, benefit duration, and benefit amount on the basis of the regional unemployment rate is, in fact, quite problematic (XX 2009; YY 2011).

I am following Chicago Manual of Style, but can't find any reference there to such a query.


texts: Is it okay to say "you are asked to do something" instead of "Please do something"?

texts:
For example, "For the beginning, you are asked to download the file" instead of "Please download the file".
I know "Please download the file" is more casual, but I want to make sure that "you are asked to" sounds natural in this context.


texts: Can I use "philosophy" as an adjective to indicate it's not "philosiphical"?

texts: Dictionaries I've gone through don't seem to allow to use the names of sciences as adjectives. Even though, is it standard to use for ex. "philosophy terminology" instead of "philosophical terminology" to indicate I'm not talking about an abstract terminology but about the terminology used in philosophy?


texts: I just watched episode one of Rick and Morty. Rick said “ I had to make a bomb” why would he used had to instead of have to when he has not yet make a bomb?


texts: How long have you lived here? how long have you been living here?

texts:
This question was said in a movie. A man asking a woman "how long have you lived here?" and they were having dinner.
I thought that he had to say "How long have you been living here?".


texts: Can we use two auxiliary in one sentence?

texts:
a) Despite civic functionaries claiming that funds have been released, these projects are haven't taken off yet.

https://www.sott.net/article/295199-Attack-by-monkey-claims-womans-life-in-India

b) Our buses are haven't left yet, you can still get the bus.

1) Are above sentences constructions correct?

I mean can we use two two auxiliary i.e. are and havent in one sentence.

2)If Yes then above sentense is in simple or Passive tense?


texts: How to understand the sentence 'you want to come down to it." in the following paragraph?

texts:
In the following context
(From Breakfast at Tiffany's page 87)

  I rang California again; the circuits were busy, stayed busy, and by
  the time O. J. Berman was on the line I’d emptied so many martinis he
  had to tell me why I was phoning him: “About the kid, is it? I know
  already. I spoke already to Iggy Fitelstein. Iggy’s the best shingle
  in New York. I said Iggy you take care of it, send me the bill, only
  keep my name anonymous, see. Well, I owe the kid something. Not that I
  owe her anything, you want to come down to it. She’s crazy. A phony.
  But a real phony, you know? Anyway, they only got her in ten thousand
  bail.”

I have checked the meaning of 'come down to something' on Webster on-line dictionaryDefinition of come down to it goes like this:

  to have (something) as the most important part

What the meaning of the bold sentence in the above text? How should we understand it? who does ‘you’ represent here, O.J. Berman or I?


texts: Is it correct to put an “a” or "another" before the word "dimensions"?

texts:
I've noticed many people say something like

  they live in another dimensions...,

and

  in a dimensions of...,

but I am wondering if it's correct to put an “a” or "another" before the word "dimensions".
Can the plural form of "dimensions" in some certain cases be regarded as a singular?

BTW, what's the exact meaning of "dimensions" in such a sentence like "they live in another dimensions"?


texts: What does from one generation to another mean?

texts:
In Pearson Scott Foresman at page 95, I read

  Genetic traits are the traits that are carried from parents to their children from one generation to another.

What does "from one generation to another" mean?

Please be very simple, English isn't my native language.


texts: Does the sentence "You ate so many!" make any sense?

texts:
Normally, you often hear "You ate so much!". It seems that "much" here is food and food is uncountable noun so we use "much".

But let see this sentence "There were 50 candies on the plate, but now they re all gone. You ate so many!". We use "many" because candy is countable noun.

Does above sentence make any sense?


texts:
In Greyhound (2020), from Fletcher-class destroyer, Commander Ernest commands Taker
& Helmsman to fire German U-boat, which was following 37 Allied ships,
which are making its way to Liverpool. But they miss the target:

Commander Ernest: Mister Watson, steady on a reciprocal course.
Maintain our  present heading.
Helmsman: Aye, aye, sir.
Commander Ernest: Sonar, when we come about, standard sweeps on both
our bows.

What does "standard sweep" mean?


texts: What does "It is important to know different perspectives to be reflective" mean?

texts:
"It is important to know different perspectives to be reflective"

This sentence made me confused. I think it means that we must use the perspectives in our actions. Is it right?


texts: The meaning of walk over to the water-pump

texts:
We walk over to the water-pump.

Does it make any difference in meaning of this sentence if we omit 'over' in the sentence? I think the 'over' is redundant in the sentence.


texts: Why can "after" be used to say "in honor of"?

texts:
I don't understand why we can use "after" to say "in honor of".

example: "The character Willie Scott in Temple of Doom was named after Steven Spielberg's dog" instead of "The character Willie Scott in Temple of Doom was named in honor of Steven Spielberg's dog".

Thank you.


texts: Why can't could be used in this sentence?

texts:
✲ I left early and could get a seat.
  (The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language)

CGEL says “could does not normally appear in affirmative contexts when it is a matter of actualisaiton of a single situation viewed perfectively*.” But as I’m not an English user, not finding any semantic strangeness from the example. Can you explain why could can’t be used in the example?


texts: What does "to be already in half pregnant" mean?

texts:
This is the context:

Nauiokas of Anthemis said that while a number of startups may already be in that "half pregnant" phase, they might be fine with staying in . "I think for a lot of these companies that are in that in-between phase, there’s a lot of runway to go it alone."

source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-06/why-fintech-startups-might-not-want-to-become-unicorns


texts:
First context

If I taught something to my students and wanted to check whether they understood me or not, what should I say ?

second context

If I were to ask them whether they are following me or not, How should I ask?

Also tell me the usage about the following expressions :

  Do you get it ?
  Did you get it ?
  Got it ?
  Get it ?
  Did you get me ?

Please make them clear to me.


texts: What's emotional tone of "whistleblower"?

texts: More and more often I see this word in news headlines. When I saw this word first time I thought it's quite negative as direct translation in my native language. Person who talks a lot and reveals other's secrets is not usually welcomed at all. The way how this word is formed — whistle and blower — don't imply anything good as well. So what's the true emotional tone behind this word?


texts: What's the best way (word or phrase) to say "out of pattern"?

texts:
Person 1: Flipkart.com sends the ordered materials to your home via post within 2-3 business days.

Person 2: Meh, I have seen them being late; one of my friends got his ordered material after 10 days!!

Person 1: I would say that is a out of pattern case!

So what is the best way to say "out of pattern" here? I want to mean a "discreet" occurence i.e. which does not usually occur. "Discreet" is the word I use in my mother tongue in this case. Can it mean the same in English too?


texts:
Which of these sentences is more appropriate?

The reasons for these decisions are as following:

The reasons for these decisions are as follows:

This operator is defined as following:

This operator is defined as follows:


texts: What's the meaning difference between "off John Does" and "of the John Does"?

texts:
This is from the movie "Meet John Doe" (1941)

("John does" means people like "John Doe")

  "Everybody is gonna cut himself a nice fat slash off John Does, eh?"

But, another script says:

  "Everybody is gonna cut himself a nice fat slash of the John Does,
  eh?"

Would you tell me if there is meaning difference between them? Whether it's the former or the latter is not important in interpreting the meaning?


texts:
If it doesn't rain, we could go outside.
Is this correct?
(I am sitting on a couch looking out the window)


texts: Is it natural to use normal or normally in this sentence

texts:
Should I use the adverb or adjective in this sentence? And does it sound natural in AE?

I ate less today than normally.

I ate less today than normal.


texts:
"I'll be back in a week" means "I'll be back after a week has passed" or "I'll be back after the next seven day's period is over".

I was very much wondering if "I'll be back after a week" is also valid. I've done a ton of research only to fail to come up with any answers.

If it is, does the "after a week" version mean just about the same thing as the "in a week" version? Are they, I mean, interchangeable?

Or does the "after a week" version have a slightly different meaning, like "I'll only be back after a week has passed" or "I won't be back until a week has passed"?

Or is it just that few English speakers have chosen to use it irregardless of its being perfectly grammatical as well as logical?


texts:
Does it mean "LIKE" here?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/just%20as

Of course, just as with most behaviors and personality traits we would like our children to develop, the most effective form of teaching is by example. The best way to raise conscientious and curious kids is to let them see us being conscientious and curious ourselves.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lawrencelight/2017/06/13/why-the-secret-to-getting-rich-isnt-being-smart/2/#3ea6b6a85c7a


texts: Word-usage:;Using "more" without comparing?

texts:
Can I use "more" without comparing?

Like: Am I comparing when I say these phrases?

  I need more coffee;

  People need more love;

  You need to be more silent;


texts: past continues confusion [I heard you say/saying that] [I had him do/doing that]

texts:
I'll try to keep it short this time.  There are certain phrases I still don't understand how to use.

For example:

  'Last night when we ate dinner, I heard you say something rude'

or

  'I had Marcus paint the walls in the living room'

Almost every ESL student, including me, wants to use the continuous form in cases like the above and I think this is due to the incoherent explanation of the past continuous form of some grammar books/websites. I have yet to find a sufficient explanation as to why native speakers never use the continuous form in this case. Could anyone explain why?


texts:
My friend and I are reading a textbook. So she asks me about a chapter(she asks: Where is the chapter X?). I say:

  It is a little further ahead.

So,actually  we are on page 20 and it's  somewhere around on page 80/90 I'm not sure.

So does my sentence sound natural?

And is the use of "where is the chapter X?" natural?


texts: What does the phrase in their true context mean?

texts:
So obvious, indeed, is the necessity of teaching and learning for the continued existence of a society that we may seem to be dwelling unduly on a truism. But justification is found in the fact that such emphasis is a means of getting us away from an unduly scholastic and formal notion of education. Schools are, indeed, one important method of the transmission which forms the dispositions of the immature; but it is only one means, and, compared with other agencies, a relatively superficial means. Only as we have grasped the necessity of more fundamental and persistent modes of tuition can we make sure of placing the scholastic methods in their true context.
(source: Democracy and Education By John Dewey)

My question is as follows:
What does the word "their" in the last line refer to?  I mean, what does "their" mean here?  Does it refer to people's true context?
Could you help me clarify it?   Thanks.


texts: Is it correct to say "When did you go to the cinema last time?"

texts: I found I could say something like "When did you last go to the cinema?" and "When was the last time you went to the cinema?", but could I use last time in the end of past simple sentence?


texts: How do you answer the questions like "What is[are]" + noun(s)?

texts:
How do you reply to the questions like...

"What is one good example of modern Beijing?"

Can I either reply with

A. "The National stadium is. "

or

B. "It's The National stadium."?


texts: Does "I will send you a product manual." sound natural if it is a message written in an email with the product manual already attached?

texts:
The other day, I received an email saying "I will send you a product manual. Please read it carefully." The manual mentioned was attached to the email.
I'm curious to know if that expression is natural or not. This is because I felt from the email message as if the sender of the email was going to send me the product manual sometime in the future after the email. I thought it should have been said like the following examples.
e.g.

I attached a product manual.
I have attached a product manual.
I'm sending you a product manual.

Am I wrong?


texts: she must be somebody just wonderful to come home to. (meaning )

texts:
She must be somebody just wonderful to come home to. (meaning )

Just wonder what this means and think of the structure as "~wonderful for me to come home"
Also what's the last "to" ? Means 'come home to somebody'?


texts:
In practice, it is very rare not be able to send this..

Could you please tell me if the order of the words in not be able to is correct?
Also, should I add to before not ?


texts: Translation from Spanish "Cuenta" with "it has" or "It counts"

texts:
This is a translation question

From the Spanish:

  Cuenta con 14 campos de cultivo en los estados de Michoacán, Baja California Norte y Jalisco.

Which one would be a better translation?

  It counts with 14 cultivation fields in the states of Michoacán, Baja California Norte and Jalisco.

  It has 14 cultivation fields in the states of Michoacán, Baja California Norte and Jalisco.

Can I translate "cuenta con" with "Counts with"?


texts: "Where my sister was" vs. "Where was my sister"

texts:
He asked me: Where my sister was.

or

  He asked me: Where was my sister.

Are both correct? If one of them is not correct, what is the reason for that?


texts:
I came across an English question yesterday on a website:
The organisation ___________ to popularise Indian classical music among the youth which has lost ___________ with its cultural roots.

A endeavours, touch
B wishes, interest
C efforts, experience
D exerts, intrigue

The provided answer was B (on a few other websites also) while I chose A and there was no explanation provided. Can somebody please help me out here as I am more convinced that A is better suited here and also I checked if the word interested can take the preposition with but could not find that also. Thank you.


texts: Is there a word to fill the blank in "What the...?!" to make it polite & educate?

texts:
In a review about Ninja Gaiden, the author pointed out that the Ninja always says: "What the...?" to express his emotion.

So I think that there is noway to complete this sentence without making it rude & uneducated?

Rude:

What the hell/heck?!
What the f-word?

Uneducated:

What the what?! (That's what the cartoon character Gumball said - What's that even mean, it's meaningless so I count it as uneducated)

So if you were the Ninja Gaiden and you were forced to complete what you had said (you had said "What the...?!" to express your anger/surprise/scare/... ), How would you complete to make sure you were a polite & educated person.


texts:
Is work one's way across an idiom or does it mean literally?

Examples:

  I should like to travel and work my way across the USA.

  I am planning to work my way across Australia.

  I work my way across every program.


texts:
if I lost something on Monday and since then I have been looking for it.

Would it be correct to say if today's Thursday sentence:

Which one?

A. I have been looking for it for three days.
B. I have been looking for it for 4 days (counting as well today, because i was looking for it even today though i still havent found it or i found it but it does not matter does it?)

Please, exaplain thanks!


texts:
I've been here for more than sixty years.

I want to make sure if the expression "have been here for...." imply that he didn't live here originally, and he moved here 60 years ago.

I mean if a person was  born and grew up in a place, can he use the expression "I have been here for...."


texts:
I found this sentence in usage sentences of idiom "lie dormant". What is its meaning? Can anyone explain

  Her talent might have lain dormant had it not been for her aunt's
  encouragement.

Source: Cambridge Dictionary Online


texts:
Wallace: We'll make spears. Hundreds of them. Long spears, twice as
long as a man.
Hamish: That long?
Wallace: Aye
Hamish: Some men are longer than others.
Campbell: Your mother been telling you stories about me again.
(They laughs)

Is there any joke exist in Campbell's words?
Source: Braveheart (1995)


texts:
At a certain webpage, someone claimed that the term prime minister was originally intended as a joke. I don't get see the jokiness in it.

  “Prime Minister” was also originally a joke at the expense of Sir Robert Walpole. Now it's a standard political term used all over the world.

I have google researched the subject but didn't got anything informative. Is it a play on words that I'm simply missing or is there a cultural connotation to it that I'm ignorant about?


texts:
As far as I understand all of the three following words are synonyms:
Abdomen, stomach and  belly, but some of them used in specific contexts. I would like to have a lesson about the usage of them in the UK or US.

For example when pointing on belly / abdomen / stomach, and saying that it is nice or flat or muscle. Which word is in the context?

Now I know that stomach in anatomy terminology means a specific organ but when people say that they feel "stomach ache" it means that they mean to the all area of the lower torso, and doesn't refer to the anatomy terminology.


texts: What verb to use, 'Give out/emanate etc a respectable air'?

texts: I couldn't find it in any dictionary. Google News didn't help me. 'Make air' (by analogy with 'make an impression') would sound comical. 'Have' doesn't have the meaning I seek to convey. So what verb to use with 'respectable/pompous etc air'?


texts:
Cambridge dictionary says:

  It's a normal two storeyed house.

  There is a single-storeyed extension on the back of the house.

  A three-storey house.

There is no hyphen in the first, and the use of single-storeyed and three-storey confused me.

Please explain.

Thank you.


texts:
Should I say by coffee, at coffee or on coffee? What preposition should we use before coffee, lunch, tea, dinner? Example:

  Let's meet up by coffee.

meaning I want to meet up with you at a cafe and drink coffee together.


texts: Why is there no "be" in the continuous clause?

texts:
I started reading literature in English and often see sentences where ing-verb is without be. I met a sentence:

Stark's bodyguard spearheading the thing...

Can you tell me why there is no is here? So

Stark's bodyguard is spearheading the thing...

I would be happy to help.
I add a full offer: Well, I'm not sure I'm into the whole elitist vibe they've got going on. The mansion...Stark's bodyguard spearheading the thing..."


texts: "petition on X" in "Response to We The People Petition on the Protests in Hong Kong"

texts:
I am confused about this headline:

  Response to We the People Petition on the Protests in Hong Kong

It's the title of an official White House response to a We The People petition titled "Support Hong Kong Democracy and Prevent A Second Tiananmen Massacre in Hong Kong".

Is "on" a little weird?  So, it is a "petition on something", not a "petition about something". Does that mean I should write "a request on something", not "a request about something" too?


texts: what is the difference between frank and overt?

texts:
What is the difference between frank cancer and overt cancer?
Is there any difference when I want to describe a cancer is obvious and can be diagnosed by a doctor?

Original sentences in the article published in Nature Medicine:

  It is not known how many of these would eventually have become frank malignant tumors. This finding was first documented in the prostate by Arnold Rich in 1935 (ref. 4) (the recently reprinted paper can be found in ref. 5).
  On the basis of these and related findings, it is evident that at least indolent or occult tumors occur much more frequently than is commonly recognized but are restrained from progressing into overt cancer by processes as yet not understood.


texts:
We say

A 300-meter high tower.
A 25-year-old male.

In the first sentence, we didn't hyphenate the noun meter with the adjective high. Yet, in the second sentence, we do hyphenate them. Why is that? Is there a rule to this?


texts:
What kind of  clause is the bolded part in the following sentence ?

  Modern science has given clear evidence that smoking can lead to
  many diseases.

Is it object clause or substantive clause or appositive clause or restrictive attributive clause or  relative  clause ?

I am confused  if the clause follows the word that in the sentence defines the noun evidence or if I should classify it separately. In both cases, I cannot name it.


texts: When to use "he/she had" and when to use "had he/she" when formulating a question?

texts:
I'm not very sure, but I think the "he/she had" structure is more colloquial/informal? Or maybe I should never use that construction when asking questions?

Here's an example sentence:

  Her hypothesis opened a door to new questions: was her problem some sort of genetic disability? Or she had/had she inherited this behavior from her parents?


texts: "over in about six weeks" - What does that mean?

texts:
Text:

No. The reason is that on the internet no one knows if you’re a dog. So legislators, executives, or administrators who are being lobbied by these petitions don’t know if you are a registered voter in their district, or even if you are an American citizen. They don’t know if you are signing multiple times or if you are signing for other people. They don’t know if you’re a robot, a person, or an alien.

The petitions on The White House are more effective because they do verify emails and the president commits to consider any petitions that has a certain number of signatures. But that’s over in about six weeks.

What we need is some sort of verified database connected to your voter registration that confirms to anyone receiving the petition that each person on the list is an individual registered voter.


texts: When should I use a define article before directions?

texts:
I drew a map of Iran without looking at it. Then I checked my drawing with the real map, and made this statement:

  I knew there is a slope in the western borders but I didn’t know the details. For the eastern border, I should have pulled it more toward south-east. Mine is very straight.

is it south-east or the south-east? I think since the directions are a limited and specific set, it needs "the".

should I use "border" or "borders" in the first or second case?


texts:
1. My house is 3 km away from downtown Alexandria.

  2. I live in Alexandria. My house is 3 km away from (the) downtown.

Dictionaries list downtown as an adjective, adverb and noun. And so the two examples should be correct. However, I'm not sure which one sounds better, and whether dropping the in 2. is acceptable (as you'd drop it with town in: my school is the best in town)


texts:
They are trying to ___ verbal sexual harassment with sexual assault.

Conflating means that you consider Z to be Y, but it doesn't mean that you're considering Z to be in the same class as Y, instead of being the exact same thing, so is there a verb for this. i am pretty sure there's one, but I don't remember what it was.


texts: I have concerns on the highlighted part of this text "come in near last in my age group"

texts:
I like to be outdoors, pick on people my size, and read books. I'm a patent lawyer, and relatively good-looking for a nerd. I love Ironman triathlons, but usually come in near last in my age group. I can fly a single-engine plane.
I like a man with a big brain (not head) and strong legs. Ideally, someone who understands "the road less traveled," and the value of a patent. If you also happen to have a fast bicycle (not the motorized kind), dabble in swordfighting, or have mastered cartography, then you are my man.

I think word like it is missing between but and usually, so that it could be paraphrased as " it ( Iron Man the movie) , is the last choise for people my age. Am I right?
My main concern actually has to with if this is a way of speeking casually or perhaps some word is missing from her speech. I mean does she know that a word it has been missed here?


texts: Which verb to use to express a realistic wish

texts:
Lets say I want to make my birthday wish

1:I wish I get the tickets to the Super Bowl(like a lottery).
2:I wish I would get the tickets to the Super Bowl,

All of the grammar websites I have referred to so far regarding tense usage with wish tell me it is used with either a past tense or a past perfect for regrets or past wishes.

I wish I had a car.
I wish I had studied hard for my tests.

and would for the future wishes like expression #2. Does that make the expression #1 incorrect?
Can anyone explain to me which tense to use in my birthday wish-related context?


texts: "explaining to my boss" or "explaining my boss"

texts:
Which is correct?

  I remember futile attempts at explaining to my boss how this
  technology works.

  I remember futile attempts at explaining my boss how this technology works.

Is there a better way of phrasing the above sentences?


texts:
He always works and I have rarely seen him sitting. A hardworking man who never tends to show down or stop working. He always works with lots of energy and effort and never gives up while he can achieve what he wants.
  He is really a/an............. man.

I know four words here which seem to be quite synonymous to me. But I don't know how they sound to you and which one fits better here in my example.

Here are the words with their definitions! Please have a look on them and let me know which one(s) is/are the proper word(s) and why?

Also, please let me know about the possible slight nuances between them.

a. tireless
b. untiring
c. indefatigable
d. relentless

I think, all the first three work interchangeably here, and the only nuance of them would be the higher formality of 'c'.
Regarding 'd', I think has a little deragetory (disapproving) connotation involved.

  Tireless [approval]

working very hard and energetically and continuously without stopping refusing to give up or take a rest in a  determined way.
— Tony is a tireless worker.
— The police have been tireless in their search for the child's killer.

  Untiring [approval]

Somebody who in order to do something continues to do it with a lot of effort or energy without stopping.
— An untiring fighter for justice.

  Indefatigable

Someone who never gets tired of doing something. Always determined and energetic in trying to achieve something they want and never admits defeat.
— His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with his illness.
He was indefatigable in his efforts to secure funding for new projects.

  Relentless

Someone who is relentless is determined to do something and refuses to give up or stop, even if what they are doing is unpleasant or cruel.
— He was the most relentless enwmy I had seen.

P.S. bringing up this question, I was going to discover how these words differ in meaning and where can each one be used?


texts: Street smart: modify adjectives with nouns?

texts:
I was confused by the roles of nouns in English. It seems that nouns can modify verbs as stated in this qeustion and adjectives in these examples:

Do You Know How to Be Street Smart?
... the prior predictive kernel distributions are not orders of magnitude different from the observed data.

Sources:

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/street-smart.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43586-020-00001-2

I wonder if the two types of nouns act the same role? In the above sentence is street acting as an adverb? Or something else? When can we modify adjectives with nouns?


texts:
What is the part of speech of the 'experienced' in the following text? Can you please explain the grammatical structure of the sentence that contains this word?

  Market research is a vital part of the planning of any business.
  However experienced you or your staff may be in a particular field, if
  you are thinking of introducing a service to a new area, it is
  important to find out what the local population thinks about it first.


texts:
Can I use his/her name's with name and surname or only name?

For example:

  His name's Robert Lewandowski.

  Her name's Taylor Swift.

Is it correct?


texts: Is "the large number of genes" grammatically wrong or is it a glitch from Grammarly?

texts: Grammarly asks me to change the "this process is infeasible due to the computational cost of the optimization process and the large number of genes. " sentence to "this process is infeasible due to the computational cost of the optimization process and a large number of genes. " and I don't understand why. Is it something wrong with my sentence?


texts: Each caterpillar unravels a single strand of delicate raw silk from its salivary glands and wraps the minute thread thousands of times around its body in a figure of eight pattern.


texts: Third condition sentences using only "would" in lieu of "would have"

texts:
This is a sentence from a book (I changed it a little) :

Had I invested in preserving and maintaining my laptop,I would still be enjoying it.

But I expected to see this sentence:( using would have ...)

Had I invested in preserving and maintaining my laptop, I would have  still been enjoying it.

So what is the difference between these two sentences?


texts: Does''couldn't'' mean "the subjunctive mood" in the following sentence?

texts:
Does "couldn't" mean "the subjunctive mood" in the following sentence?

  I couldn't make myself understood in English.


texts: Why does a sentence start with Past Perfect but continue in Past Simple?

texts:
Please have a look at this extract from an interview, the question was:

  What was it that made you want to choose the drums?

  The Blind Baron asked me if I was interested in learning and I took him up on his offer. I had always secretly wanted to learn how to play, but the opportunity never presented itself and, for various reasons, I never pursued it.

I am just wondering why it is not had presented and had persued as both actions happened before and finished when the Blind Baron offered him to learn how to play drums. Is it because the first past perfect put the whole  sentence before the offer?


texts:
I often see that the same thing - a sum of money is being called differently in different contexts and even sometimes in equal contexts.

I know all the three words and their other meanings but when it comes to money I'm not sure if people use them wisely and whether a difference even a slight one exists within this or that context. For instance:

If a developer creates a software and he gives it out for free but wishes to have a certain income to enhance it and continue working on it, most usually that would be a "contribution" right? However, I sometimes see people write "donation" in there software and on the web sites.
If an organization helps street animals and asks for money from people for that help then usually that's called "charity" but I sometimes hear and see people use "donation" is this case.
If somebody is sick and needs medical attention but there family hasn't a sufficient sum of money they ask for "donation" but not "charity". However, when they speak of someone who gave them quite a sum they call it a "contribution".

Could someone explain in which situation should one use "contribution", "charity" and "donation"?


texts: Learn mathematics versus learn about mathematics

texts:
I am a bit confused with these two examples, which is the correct one?

I learn mathematics, or
I learn about mathematics.


texts:
The co-founder of Cell Surgical Network, the largest group of independent stem cell clinics in the country, called the FDA's court action “ridiculous.” Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Mark Berman said the treatments the network's 100 clinics provide should not count as drugs that require FDA regulation because they consist of stem cells derived from fat suctioned out of patients' own bodies.

  “They would have to go out of the way to claim your own personal cells that are taken out of your own body are drugs,” said Berman, who said his company has retained several Washington-area lawyers and would fight the injunction case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.  Washington Post

What does "have to" mean here?
I know "have to" usually means "must", showing obligations, but it is also "used to say that you are sure that something will happen or something is true"Longman

In the above sentence, does "have to" mean an assumption?
But if so, it seems like the meaning of "would" and "have to" is repeated twice.


texts:
The book asks me to make new verbs from the following words: clear, noble, body, rate, store.

For clear, I can use clarify; for body, embody; for store, restore.

For noble, I am not able to think of any new verb. For rate, ratify doesn't just satisfy me because I guess the meaning of rate and ratify are different, unlikely from clear and clarify which still have the same kind of meaning.

I wish somebody could help me with noble and rate.


texts:
“but by then she would have them down and whatever they did, it didn’t matter.”

Excerpt From (Census, Jesse Ball)

"Have them down" means completely figured them out?


texts: Does this clause follow correct grammar?

texts:
I feel that the way I used the verb in the sentence is wrong. Even though I tried to analyse this, I could not figure out the correct way.

These are my efforts.

  The recognition of a global shape satisfying entire shape
  characteristics of an object is very difficult.
  The recognition of a global shape, which satisfies entire shape characteristics of an
  object, is very difficult.

May be I am totally wrong, but I refer which satisfies with the global shape.

Could you please help me to rectify any mistakes?


texts:
I have the following sentence:

  Conventional light bulbs will be replaced with energy-saving alternatives by 2020.

According to my book, the next sentence is also correct:

  Conventional light bulbs are to be replaced with energy-saving alternatives by 2020.

But I was taught that in the sentences referring to the future with by (date) we use Future Perfect.

I would write as follows:

  Conventional light bulbs will have been replaced with energy-saving alternatives by 2020.

Am I right?
What is the difference in meaning between these three sentences?
Thanks in advance!


texts: Does this Question make sense, 'the background of which they come'?

texts:
One of my friends is writing a paper and asked me to edit it for her, and for some reason, 'the background of which they come' doesn't make any sense. If it helps, the beginning of the sentence is 'all the players state there name and 'the background of which they come''.

Thanks! The insight is greatly appreciated!


texts: Capitalization rules when the sentence begins with a number

texts:
The context is about work progress. Planned work is 100%. Someone implemented only 45% of the work.

  45% of the work was implemented.

The sentence begins with the number. Please write whether we capitalize the first letter after the number? Is it normal in English if a sentence begins with a number?


texts:
I want to combine "There is no school in my street" and "there is no hospital in my street" in one sentence.

I dont know if I can say there is no school or hospital in my street....
And if I can use isnt any instead of is no.


texts: Did you know you (can/could) follow us on our Twitter?

texts:
Did you know you could follow us on our Twitter?

Or

Did you know you can follow us on our Twitter?


texts: what is the meaning of communion in the paragraph？

texts:
“Sometimes a meal is just a meal, and eating with others is simply eating with others. More often than not, though, it’s not. Once or twice a semester at least, I will stop discussion of the story or play under consideration to intone (and I invariably intone in bold): whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion.For some reasons, this is often met with a slightly scandalized look,communion having for many readers one and only one meaning. While that meaning is very important, it is not the only one. Nor, for that matter, does
  Christianity have a lock on the practice. Nearly every religion has some liturgical or social ritual involving the coming together of the faithful to share sustenance. ”

The paragraph is from How to read literature like a professor.
I just don't know what the true  meaning of communion in this sentence:communion having for many readers  one and only one meaning.
Here, “the only one meaning”,I wonder whether it refers to “a ceremony in christian  church ” or “the state of  sharing thoughts and feelings”.


texts:
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) movie, Harry Potter fell over 100 feet:

Fred: What do you expect? He fell over 100 feet.
Geroge (says to Ron): Let's walk you off a tower and see what  you
look like.

What does "walk you off a tower" mean?


texts: "Would you have any apple or cake?" Is this accepted in American English?

texts:
A student wrote the following :

  Would you have any apple or cake?

A teacher from the UK recommends :

  Would you like to have an apple or a piece of cake?

I wish to check if the original question "Would you have any apple or cake?" can be accepted as grammatically correct in the US.


texts:
I'm trying to find an appropriate closing for an article. Would something like...

  If you're new to the school too, don't be shy and talk to people! Maybe they're not so different from you after all?

... make sense? Google doesn't give me any results for "so different from you after all", so I'm wondering if this structure works at all.


texts:
Would mind saying whether one of these sentences are incorrect?

  It's nice we have someone taking care of him.

  It's nice we have someone take care of him.

If both are correct, what are their differences?


texts:
He loves to join the class.
He would love to join the class.

Which one is correct? What is the difference?


texts: "Maybe I will go and race in something else" VS "Maybe I go and race in something else"

texts:
I was wondering whether it would be possible to use second term?
I know first term is correct but does it mean the second one is not correct?


texts: What does the "o" stand for in 9 o'clock?

texts:
Why do we use "o" in  telling the time, e.g. 9 o'clock?
I looked it up in the dictionary but it did not say anything about the letter.

o'clock
adverb
Used to specify the hour when telling the time.

‘the gates will open at eight o'clock’

What does the "o" stand for?


texts: Be somewhere "on time", "at that time" or "in time"?

texts:
Do both imply the same meaning?

John told me to be there at 6pm. I will be there on time.
John told me to be there at 6pm. I will be there in time.
John told me to be there at 6pm. I will be there at that time.

I can feel that in time needs a for or a to but am not sure. Like in I'll be there in time for the show to start. or  I'll be there in time to see it. (on time won't work)


texts: Should "above" and "below" be put before or after the noun?

texts:
Please see the above picture.
Please see the picture above.
Please see the below picture.
Please see the picture below.

Are the sentences above correct in terms of grammar?


texts: What does "then" mean in these sentences?

texts:
Consider:

  Mary's not here. She'll be at a meeting downtown all afternoon. I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow and have her help me then.
  A: Ms.Jones left right around 3.00.
  B: I'll have to call her home, then. This report can't wait. We have to talk about it before tomorrow.
  A: We're playing tennis this afternoon. Would you like to join us?
  B: Thanks, but I'm really wiped out.
  A: Then you'd better rest.

Does then in topic 1 and topic 2 have the same meaning?


texts: What does "boiled down to stark, skeletal facts" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I am so so confused by this figurative speech of saying "information boiled down to stark, skeletal facts", and what does it even mean in this sentence??

My guess is that "I found these information superficial, meaningless"?? I gave as much surrounding passage as it could make sense. Could anyone help to explain?

  The newspapers and television were full of headlines about what they
  termed ‘the right to die’. A woman suffering from a degenerative disease had asked that the law be clarified to protect her husband, should he accompany her to Dignitas when her suffering became too much.  A young football player had committed
  suicide after persuading his parents to take him there. The police
  were involved.…………

  But I knew he saw the headlines too. He had begun using the computer
  more since we got the new software, …………I looked up the same piece at
  the library. I had begun to read newspapers. I had worked out which of
  their arguments tended to go deeper—that information wasn’t always
  at its most useful boiled down to stark, skeletal facts.

  The football player’s parents had been savaged by the tabloid
  newspapers. How Could They Let Him Die? screamed the headlines. …………

  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

The context is :
"he" is a quadriplegic in wheelchair and "he" also decides to go to Dignitas, and "I" being his carer, try to change his mind in a silent way.


texts: Does "I get annoyed as X happens" mean that "I understand you are probably annoyed about X"?

texts:
Michael shows up late for the meeting with his client. So, Michael says

  To be honest, I get extremely annoyed as being punctual is respectful, and therefore, turning up late is disrespectful...

I guess Michael use that to show his apologies.

Does that also convey his sympathy which imply this?

  I understand you are probably annoyed about my being late ...


texts: Generic person: "how can you do that?" or "how can one do that?"

texts:
I'm making a generic question, addressed to no one specific:

can I write: "How can you do that?"

or should I use: "How can one do that?"

I like the first one better but I've heard that the second one is correct.


texts: In these cases what is the best solution

texts:
I was given a wrong number
Is this reported speech possible
"he said he was given a wrong number" (with no backshift) if it is reported 10 minutes after it was said  . Would it be better to write "he said he had been given a wrong number" (because when we use past simple in reported speech we can think that the direct speech is in present.) However in this case the affirmation is still true so backshift should not be obligatory.
would it be the same problem with
"I was given a number" I think in this case the action is completed so it would be better to backshift
Is it a logical reasoning for you ?


texts: Are "so" and "so that" both acceptable here

texts:
She hid the presents so the children wouldn't find them.

  She hid the presents so that the children wouldn't find them.

What I want to ask is whether both of the sentences above make sense (though different senses). To be clear, are "so" and "so that" both suitable to connect the clauses without any awkwardness?


texts: Meaning of "nothing too out of the ordinary"

texts:
I'm currently reading a Huffington Post article by Ed Mazza ("A Glint of Light and a Hint of Life: Mars Is Getting Very Interesting Right Now," June 24, 2019) and I came to a paragraph.

The paragraph says:

  It doesn’t appear on any of the images snapped before or after, taken about 13 seconds apart, so if it was an object of some kind it moved quickly. More likely, however, it was nothing too out of the ordinary.

I'm unable to grasp the meaning of the bold part. What could this line mean? Could that mean "it was nothing, which like other stuff out of the ordinary?" I don't get the meaning. Could someone please explain to me what this line means within the above context?


texts: for YOUR information & for YOU information?

texts:
Why don't we interpret FYI as “information for you” or “for-you information”? As a matter of fact, I don't understand the “for your” in FYI.

P.S. I've already checked the dictionary before asking. So my focus is not quite on the history of the acronym, but how to understand the idiom (because I don't have a good feel of English).


texts: Is it possible to use past simple instead of past perfect in "...all the washing up HAD BEEN DONE..."?

texts:
There's the following sentence in my Grammar book:

  It was a lovely surprise to find that all the washing-up HAD BEEN DONE  while I was asleep.

The only answer mentioned in the answer key is past perfect (in capitals). Since today, I've thought that we use past perfect to clarify the order of actions but if it's clear by itself we don't need one.

I feel, in this sentence the order of actions is obvious, so WAS DONE is also possible. Even more—the past perfect isn't necessary.

Would someone please explain which tense should be used and why?


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

texts:
We have to do homework.

and

  We are required to do homework.

Do they mean the same?


texts: When I say, "they will get married", will it be fully understood as "they will become a couple"?

texts:
I have read the web page about Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin on this URL, (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin)

According to that web page, Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin are close friends since childhood, and some said, "they are more than just close friends, hinting that they have sincere feelings toward each other".

I am going to write this comment in the page (if I can),
"I think they will get married after they have defeated Dracula",
but I am afraid that my comment will be understood in this way:

  Jonathan Morris will marry some other girl instead of Charlotte, and
  Charlotte Aulin will marry to someone else. Because "they will get
  married" can either mean that they will become a couple or they marry
  to some other people.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Or should I write,
"I think they will get married to become a couple after they have defeated Dracula",
but it looks redundant.


texts: Can I use ‘certainly’ as a focusing adverb?

texts: For example, certainly I made a present for you, and not the other people made a present for you.


texts:
If my friend text me to ask if a particular team is going to win and I want to say: "I guess they're going to lose". And if I mean a particular match,  can I use:

  I guess they're going to lose this one.

Specifically, is it okay to use "this one" in that sentence?


texts: A verb to describe ruining a chart with extra information

texts:
I want to mention that the scale bar of a plot is deliberately eliminated, since it is not the main point, it does not give much information and it ruin the figure because it takes lots of space and distract the attention from the main plot.

I need a single verb to describe the situation. I mean I want to say

  Scale bars of figure 1 are deliberately eliminated, since they "suggested verb" the plot.

suggested verb should mean

  ruin with extra information, symbols, pictures, etc, which take the focus off the main subject


texts:
Please have a look at the sentence below:

  A car came up FROM BEHIND and overtook me.

I have done some research and came to the conclusion (whether correct or not) that 'behind' in this sentence is a prepositional adverb, which is an adverb that functions like a preposition, with the main difference being that it doesn't have an object (pronoun or noun). However, what confuses me is that, if the above is true, then it would mean that 'from', which is definitely a preposition before 'behind', doesn't have an proper object.
Could 'From behind' be an adverbial phrase? Please explain in detail.

Many thanks.


texts:
If this were the case, their pension increase could have been
  insufficient to raise their standard of living.

When do we use "If this were the case..."? If there are multiple cases(reasons), then we use "If this were the case..."? In that case, it would have been: "If these were the cases...". When should we use "If this was the case..." and "If this were the case..."?


texts: Present Perfect for experiences with "live", "study" etc

texts:
I was wondering whether the use of the present perfect tense with verbs such as "live" or "work", which present a more stative state of being, always implies that the action is still true in the present, or perhaps there's no problem with using it for stating that one has had the experience of doing something?

So, in other words, is it possible for me to say:

  I've lived in New York, Boston and Sacramento. I know all about these cities.

Or should I simply stick to the past simple tense, given I no longer live in any of these cities?

Can I state the following, if I don't study this language anymore?

  I've studied French - I know how difficult the sentence order can get.

If I used to work in retail, but no longer do so, can I still use the perfect tense to support my knowledge of dealing with the customers?

  Believe me, I know how to deal with troublesome customers; I've worked in retail.


texts: Why can “bigly” or “big league” become a confusing question？Do they belong to the same part of speech?

texts:
I've read quite some news about one of D J Trump's frequently used word, bigly/big league.

During the first debate, he used the expression while speaking about taxes.

  “I’m going to cut taxes [bigly/big league], and you’re going to raise taxes [bigly/big league]. End of story.”

And yesterday, he used that word again while discussing his immigration plan.

  “You can come back in, and you can become a citizen, but it’s very unfair. We have millions of people who did it the right way. They’re on line. They’re waiting. We’re going to speed up the process [bigly/big league] because it’s very inefficient.”

It seems most native speakers of American English are quite confused between the two. I’m not supposed to be in the position to judge which is the exact word Mr. Trump used, for I'm not a native speaker. I know the two words sound very similar, but I just don't understand why they are so confusing. "Bigly" is an adverb（It may be rarely used，but still exists. See  http://www.dictionary.com/browse/big?s=t）, while "big league" is a noun or an adjective. As far as I know about English grammar, in the two above passages I quoted, it should be "bigly" as an adverb to modify the verb or the verb phrase like "raise" or "speed up".

So, what's so confusing about "bigly" or "big league"?


texts: Which preposition should be used, in or during?

texts:
Take care of your health during/in weather changes.

Which preposition should be used before 'weather changes'?


texts:
Source: p 90, The Law of Contract, 5 ed (2012), by O’Sullivan and Hilliard

  Spence (1999) has suggested that estoppel might solve many of the problems dealt with
  in this chapter. His approach asks what assumptions the recipient of the services has
  induced in the other party, whether the other party has relied on these assumptions to
  his detriment, and if so, whether it would be ‘unconscionable’ for the recipient not to
  remedy this detriment.

Please explain why the preposition must be in? I guess that the meaning is: His approach asks what assumptions the recipient of the services has caused the other party  to adopt, ... But I would've written induced FOR or TO or TOWARDS?


texts:
I have heard people say that "have to" is a modal verb. Other people have told me it is not. Why exactly is "have to" a modal verb? Or why exactly is it not?

I have also heard that it is a periphrastic modal verb. Is a periphrastic modal verb a modal verb?


texts: About to/Not about to + Will be about to

texts:
As I understand

I am going to do it = I have an intention of doing it
Although we don't know whether it will happen in 5 seconds or in 3 months.
I am about to do it = Very very soon I will do it
This means "right now" or "in a moment" or anything like this.
What does the negated form of it mean?
I am not about to do it = ...
Logically it should mean
I will do it but not very very soon
But as I've gotten it means something like
I won't ever do it/am not ever going to do it
So, can I make the following equations?
Be about to do something = having an intention of doing it very very soon
Not about to do something = not having an intention of doing it ever and at all

If "be going to" is not used with "will" can "be about to" used with it?

I will be about to do it
I will not be about to do it


texts:
If you are not using it yet.
If you haven't used it yet.

I heard the first one in a video and I feel the expression is odd to me. I would say the second one instead. So, is the first one grammatically correct? If it is, dose it mean the same thing as the latter?


texts: An expression/idiom/proverb to say "losing a small amount would be much better than losing everything"

texts:
Is there any common English expression, idiom or proverb which implies:

  Stop and accept a small loss, rather than continue and risk losing everything.

When someone is losing or possibly would lose so many things, we say:

  You'd better be satisfied with losing one or two things (small amont) rather than losing everything.

P.S. the only equivalent that I found are as below:

  Better one house spoiled than two.

Although, I'm sure that they are some translations.

What would you say in natural English?


texts: what does "for the night" mean? Can i say "at night" instead of "for the night"?

texts:
Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night.

What does "for the night" mean? Can I say "at night" instead of "for the night"?


texts: What are the differences among the sentences when "make", "cause" and "tend" are used?

texts:
Context:
1: I would "make" you to go from here.
2: I would "cause" you to think.
3: I would "tend" you to think.


texts:
OALD gives an idiom:

Get started
meaning: to begin doing something.
example: It's almost ten o'clock. Let's get started.

In this example, can I say "let's start" instead?
Both can mean we start doing something.
But I guess "let's start" may mean "let's begin our journey" while "let's get started" does not have such an option.
Please help clarify this.


texts:
I would like to know if this sentence is correct :

  When I was in high school , one of my friends would get a date every single day, all he had to do was just show his wallet.

I don't want a formal English version, just an American common way to say it because I won't actually write it, I will just talk but I want it to make sense.

By the way, can I say "all he would do was just show his wallet" too? I don't wan't to change the meaning of what I'm trying to say.


texts: how can I get this sentence? the impact that everything you do has on climate change

texts:
a: I don’t really get what carbon footprint means.
  b: Oh, well, it means... I guess... the impact that everything you do has on climate change.

I encountered the sentence above in the movie...

What is 'the impact that~ climate change' exactly?

does it mean 'Everything you do can make an impact on climate change?

I don't know exactly 'have on'...


texts:
A:   Describe the body, please?

B:   Male. African-American. Tall. With a bullet hole in/through his head.

Should it be "in" or "through" here?


texts:
How would you normally in informal (not vulgar) English criticise a slowpoke how normally is very loose, weak and drags his feets when it comes to performing a task and you find it really difficult to deal with them?

In my language, (literally translated) we say: He's like cream.

Connotation: it is a metaphore which similizes such an individual to "cream" as it is really soft (shapability) and hard to replace (slowness)!

How do you allude to this character as a criticism figuratively?


texts: Pronunciation of eight, eighth, and eighty

texts:
What is the difference between the pronunciation of eight, eighth and eighty?
I played in Google translator, and is changing so little that I just can't figure out, what is happening...
I imagine if I talk with someone that really speak English in high speed, and I will probably will think it is just "8".
Is this hard for native-speakers too, or just for a Portuguese (Brazilian) speaker like me? Do you have some tip to learn something like that?
And if I go to different regions or English-countries, do I need to learn something more about 8, 80, and 8th?


texts:
is it correct to say : we're getting lit this weekend ?
lit here means enjoyable party

according to

merriam-webster

'Lit' has been a slang term meaning "intoxicated" for over a century. More recently, it has acquired the meaning "exciting," as well as a broader meaning along the lines of "excellent."


texts: Usage of 'yesterday' in Present Perfect - is it grammatically correct?

texts:
Is it correct to say (1a):

  Mary has not phoned since yesterday.

Or should it be rather said (1b):

  Mary has not phoned since the day before.

Similarly (2a):

  They haven't returned since last night.

Or (2b):

  They haven't returned since the previous night.

Sentence 1a sounds more natural to me (sentence 2a a bit less) but seem incorrect because 'yesterday' should be used in Past Simple.
Sentences 1b and 2b on the contrary - seem gramatically correct but sound a bit unnatural.

Please advise how to express these ideas in the best way.


texts: At Val d'amour they play a part - what does "play a part" mean?

texts:
A passage from a song called At Val d'Amour from musical "Notre-Dame de Paris":

  Ladies of love my heart is sore, I am Gringoire the troubadour.
  I'm sick with love you have the cure behind the doors at Val d'amour.
  Guitars implore come one come all, come take your tour of Val d'amour.
  At Val d'amour they play a part, give them your money not your heart.
  Beneath the sheets your love will flower, it'll last the night or last an hour.

I don't understand what they mean by play a part.


texts: Why can't I use a past perfect tense in this condition part?

texts:
the sentence is:

If you didn't want to buy that shirt you shouldn't have bought it ('didn't' - it's a past simple not a second conditional, watch the video by the link above)

Question:

  When can I use a past perfect in the condition part in this sentence (If you hadn't wanted to buy that shirt you shouldn't have bought it)


texts:
If we do something that strains our muscle and we feel a sudden pang of pain "pull a muscle" is used. But if someone pushed another person and the person who was pushed feels the pain due to the muscle spasm, what will be used (the person didn't do it himself, but it happened because someone pushed him). What will be used in this context?

  I pulled a muscle.

  A muscle pulled in my arm.

So what will be used #1 or #2?


texts: What does someone mean when they say that they have "incredibly weak nerves" ? It does not refer to a medical condition.


texts:
What is the difference between the following two sentences?

Something that's so big that it feels like a hassle to carry
around.
Something that's big enough that it feels like a hassle to
carry around.

I think I feel the difference, but not exactly.


texts: Is "would the first thing you would do" correct?

texts:
I am not sure if this is a warranted feeling, but I feel like using "would" twice sounds kind of ungrammatical. Also, I looked at the n-gram for this and I barely get any result.

Here's the sentence I was trying to write:

  If you were the President, would the first thing you would do be
  trying to enact Medicare for all?

Like I said, I feel it's weird to have two would, would you replace the second would with something else?


texts:
I'm trying to think of a word which best fits in this sentence:

  The truth is nobody really knows how language first began.  Did we all start talking at around the same time _________ of the manner in which our brains had begun to develop?

Can someone help me? I don't even have a slightest idea.

This is from a test.


texts: Where should I put already in this sentence?

texts:
Where should I put already in this sentence ?

  I've been playing with it for a few hours already, but still no luck.

For me it seems ok to put before verb been or before hours.


texts: Is it correct to say "I shook water off the vegetables but the basket slipped out my hand"?

texts:
Sometimes, we would like to eat raw salads or other vegetables. We have to wash the vegetables first, then try to get rid of water on the vegetables before we eat them.
To get rid of water on the vegetables, we often put the vegetables in a basket with holes, then we move the basket with full of vegetables up and down quickly. Because of the gravity and the momentum, the vegetables will stay in the basket and won't fall out. But sometimes, the vegetables may fall out if it is not done carefully or the whole basket drops down (see the picture below).

How to express "move the basket with full of vegetables up and down quickly"?
For example, "I shook water off the vegetables but the basket slipped out my hand".


texts: What does 'statements of fact' mean in this sentence?

texts:
In the sentence

  One fact which emerges from these considerations is that no obstacle should be placed in the way of thought and its expression, nor yet in the way of statements of fact,

what does the author, Bertrand Russell, mean by 'statements of fact'? And how does that differ from the meaning of 'expression of thought'?


texts: What the adverb modifies: "I don't want to live forever" as an example

texts:
I was talking with a friend and we mentioned the song I Don't Wanna Live Forever. He said it meant "I just want to die for good." I disagreed, saying it meant "I don't want to be immortals".

But after that, when I think back, I am actually confused. Because it seems that in this case "forever" can modify anything: the whole clause before it altogether, or "don't wanna live", or just "live", and the meaning would be different.

Is there any methods on how to determine the thing being modified by adverbs in such cases?


texts: Sanctity of a holy, sacred, saint [someone/something]

texts:
This question "Difference between saint, holy and sacred" has made me think whether we can use the noun "sanctity" to speak about things or people that/who are already holy, sacred, or saint.

For instance:

The sanctity of this sacred temple has attracted many tourists.
The scripts in this holy book are sanctity to the keepers of the library.
The sanctity of the saint brings them closer to church.


texts: Is the use of 'keep up appearances' correct in this context?

texts:
Louie's mother was actually a housewife. Childish and foolish, Louie thought that she was a bottle-washer, often noticing her washing bottles. Despite that, he wrote that she was a nurse, to keep up appearances.

I have two questions actually:

  Childish and foolish, Louie thought that she was a bottle-washer [...]

Is it correct to place adjectives before the noun like that?

  [...] he wrote that she was a nurse, to keep up appearances.

Is the use of keep up appearances correct in this context?


texts:
Why here is "five day":
I follow the Effortless English five day training method.

and why here is "five days":
I practice every unit for at least five days.


texts: Use of as many as in two different sentence

texts:
I hope that you read books as many as I do.

  I hope that you read as many books as I do.

What is the difference between two sentences. I thought first one means that I read books and I want you to read as much as I do. And second one means You read books which are in the amount that I read.


texts: "In 2006, XYZ got his first job out of college at Microsoft, in San Francisco." vs

texts:
In 2006, XYZ got his first job out of college at Microsoft, in San Francisco."
or
In 2006, XYZ got his first job out of college, at Microsoft, in San Francisco."
In 2006, XYZ got his first job out of college at Microsoft in San Francisco."
In 2006, XYZ got his first job out of college, at Microsoft in San Francisco."

His job was both at Microsoft and in San Francisco (both of that is what I want to convey as essential information), but the college that XYZ graduated from was in another state. The sentence is to be included in the biography of XYZ and I want to emphasize the fact that for him getting his first job out of college required changing his place of living (from Florida). I want to avoid confusion (is not the third sentence confusing? One would think that the college was at Microsoft.). Which sentence is correct? I reckon the fourth is correct, but I am not sure. Is there a way to rewrite it in a different order so it would sound more natural?


texts: How to politely follow up your prospective manager?

texts:
I wish to ask from my prospective manager if she could find some time to speak with a third party.

So, is the following sentence fine and polite?

  I wish to ask if you have spoken to [third party]

Any other suggestion that does the job politely, works for me


texts:
There're 3 stages of a cold: a
Stage 1: You have a bit fever and some sneezes
Stage 2: You cough a lot and have a runny nose
Stage 3: You cough less and less and the cold will be over in a few days.
Is it correct that we can only say "I am getting sick" in stage 1, but not 2 and 3?
Similarly, when do we say "I am getting hungry". Say, normally you have dinner at 6pm but now is 7pm and you start to get some feeling of hungriness and you say "I am getting hungry".
But say now is 10pm and you haven't been eating anything since afternoon. The state of hungriness lasts for about 3 hours from 7pm to 10pm.
Is it still correct to say "I am getting hungry" now (10pm)?


texts:
Which one is correct (when it comes  at the beginning of the sentence)?
I searched on this website, and I found both instances:

Better keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't take over.
Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to speak and prove it.

Which version is correct? Or maybe both are correct?


texts:
This post cites someone's talk

  We started the first mountaineering club at Eton and made dozens of trips to Scotland and Wales...
  The day we had an opportunity to get to the summit, Bear came down with a virus and didn't go. ..
  I just look back on Everest as an amazing experience, which I luckily survived. ..

This guy is talking about some kind of history, so, he is using "started", how about "look back"?

one situation where simple present tense is suitable is to state a fact or regularity, such as, the sun rises in the east, I drink 20 cups of water everyday

what is the appropriate situation where I should use the simple present form of "look back"?


texts: Position of adverbs in relation to the objects of a sentence

texts:
Although the placement of adverbs doesn't pose a problem to me anymore, I sometimes find myself wondering which of the two options will sound more natural to a native ear.

  1a) Brad Pitt slowly walked past Angelina Jolie.

  1b) Brad Pitt walked past Angelina Jolie slowly.

  2b) He loudly pounded on the door.

  2a) He pounded on the door loudly.

EDIT:
Or maybe it's the third option that sounds more idiomatic?

  1c) Brad Pitt walked slowly past Angelina Jolie.

  2c) He pounded loudly on the door.


texts: Meaning of "You wouldn't think it to look at him, but.."

texts:
What does this sentence mean?

  You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but Jack was bullied when he was at school.

I guess that "wouldn't think it to" means "never wish to", but yet I can't understand the rest of the sentence. What is the relation between looking at Jack and the fact that he was bullied in some time before in the school?


texts: Is this correct? "Enjoy life with people who makes you forget social networks"

texts:
Is this correct? My friend says it is, but I am not sure.

I'm not a native speaker; is this grammatically correct?


texts: What do you call the sharp end of a slide (slide as in playground)?

texts:
In other words, what do you call this?

Few options pop in my mind: the end of the slide, the foot of the slide, but I'm not a native speaker so I'm not very sure.


texts: Who do you think {will be the next president/the next president will be}?

texts:
I was debating with someone on the internet and suddenly we came across this topic. I know the second sentence sounds odd and this is a bit silly to ask, but grammatically is it still acceptable somehow? And if yes do they have the same meaning?

Who do you think will be the next president?

VS

Who do you think the next president will be?


texts:
There are two pronunciations  / 'hɒstaɪl ; ˋhɑstḷ / for hostile in my dictionary.

I'm wondering which one is more common or they are different in different areas.


texts:
The following three major challenges have to be met if a family business is to flourish for 100 years and more.
  The following three major challenges have to be met if a family business were to flourish for 100 years and more.

Which is the correct way to construct a conditional sentense?